Famous Last Words
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: As Anakin begins his mission to eradicate all Jedi, Shaak Ti flees the Temple-alone. She thought her last words would be "Anakin, what have you done?" Shaak Ti managed to survive, and now seeks to ready new Jedi to fight Vader and the Empire.
1. Chapter 1

Laser fire laced the Temple.

Shaak Ti couldn't believe it. She had passed into shock long ago, when Anakin had found her in the meditation chambers. He was deep in the Force, searching for answers to what she had felt in the Force just minutes ago. A huge shift, like a boat overturning and sinking in seconds. A massive movement, deep in the Force, that had sent Shaak Ti crumbling to her knees at the onslaught of it. Several others in the Temple who were also deeply intertwined with the Force, as she was, had experienced similar reactions. But Shaak Ti was hit so hard…she had immediately slunk off to the meditation chambers, both furious and hurt at the same time. She must have looked like a nexu with its tail between its legs, practically on all fours as she made her way to the meditation chambers. The second she sat down and immersed herself in the Force, she had felt better. But she knew it was not to last; once she had centered herself and delved deeper, the immense emotions had taken over and practically drowned her in the Force's simple essence. Death…destruction…murder…and then a sudden, sharp turn. Shaak Ti could see a symbol in her mind's eyes, vaguely reminiscent of a ying-and-yang symbol. Suddenly, the black side rose up and enveloped the light side in itself, smothering all but one, single, tiny flame. Shaak Ti felt herself suffocating in the darkness-what had _happened?!_

The door opened.

Shaak Ti shocked herself back to consciousness, but tried to make it seem she was still in meditation. She searched the room through gentle currents in the Force, trying to determine who would interrupt her. Anakin! Shaak Ti's heart leapt with joy. The others must be back! They must have succeeded in killing Palpatine! But then…those darker currents in the Force…what had happened? Shaak Ti felt her heartbeat increase; she tried to deny it, but she was nervous. The energies surrounding Anakin were certainly dark; almost murderous. Shaak Ti made up her mind: she was going to talk to Anakin. She slowly uncoiled her long-limbed body, standing up and turning to face Anakin. She caught the sound of a lightsaber igniting, and horror suddenly filled her heart. Anakin…had turned dark. That was the overturning she felt! The Chosen One had turned dark! Shaak Ti's lightsaber leapt to her hand, and she felt the heat of a lightsaber a bit too close to her back-Anakin had tried to stab her in her back! Shaak Ti's blue blade met the iridescent azure of Anakin's, and she harshly shoved him back. Anakin stumbled back, blue lightsaber flailing as he fell back a few steps. Shaak Ti lowered her sword, staring at Anakin as if staring at a stranger. Anakin's eyes were full of fury; his entire aura seemed toxic. Shaak Ti was simply appalled.

"Anakin," she whispered, "what have you done?"

Anakin seemed overcome by Shaak Ti's voice; it seemed to fill him with rage. Shaak Ti suddenly found herself on her back on the floor several feet away, a brutal Force-shove the cause. Shaak Ti stood up quickly, and met Anakin's overhand chop just in time. A Force-shove of her own served as retaliation, and Shaak Ti advanced on Anakin-but she did not seek attack. No, she wanted to simply get out of the room, and get at least the Younglings out of there! If Anakin had gone dark, there was no telling what else had been done! As the door opened and Shaak Ti bolted through, nothing could prepare her for what she encountered.

Blaster fire almost amputated the end of one lekku.

Shaak Ti cried out in surprise, and bolted across the hallway, taking shelter behind a pillar. She used her lightsaber to deflect the blaster fire headed her way, taking in the situation as she did so. Clones were firing wildly-and seemingly at Jedi. Shaak Ti felt herself growing sick to the stomach as she watched clones slaughter Jedi left and right. The Jedi were overcome by sheer number. Shaak Ti glanced around; no one she knew was there! Where was everyone? The Masters? Was she alone in this? Had they already been killed? Shaak Ti decided to find out.

With a mighty battle cry, the Togruta launched herself from behind the pillar, lightsaber flashing and slicing and lancing through white armor. Shaak Ti grabbed the nearest Padawan, shoving her behind herself, and yelled over the blaster fire, "Gather everyone you can and get to a ship! I'll cover you!"

Everyone turned out not to be much. Shaak Ti could only count four Padawans behind her, and she could only see a few more Jedi fighting around her. "Go!" she screamed, giving the girl behind her a push. "Get to the hangar! Get out of here! I'll be along shortly-just go!"

Screams of pain were all she heard, and then the sound of a lightsaber stilling its motion.

Shaak Ti gasped, whirling around. The bodies of the four Padawans she had tried to save had been burned open by lightsaber, and were now falling to the ground, lifeless. Shaak Ti screamed in horror, staring at Anakin as if he had suddenly grown a second head. A small whimper of fear reached her throat, but she swallowed it. Fear could not be shown here-it was too easy to succumb to the dark side as it was. Shaak Ti crossed blades briefly with Anakin, and then broke away again. She needed to get out of there-she was having trouble combining Soresu and Makashi, and doubted it was going to get any easier. Shaak Ti dove behind a pillar again, seeking shelter from the blaster fire and Anakin's deadly saber. She could outduel him, she knew. But the entire deal with the clones…? No. She was confident in herself, but she knew that one Togruta, even a Council member, against the new Dark Lord's apprentice and an entire battalion of clones, was asking for death. Shaak Ti decided to do something she had never done before:

She ran.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti ran until she could run no more, fighting down tears and trying her best not to be sick. She couldn't afford the time it would take to mourn-she needed to get off Coruscant, and fast! She needed to go somewhere far away…somewhere where no one would even think of looking for her, let alone find her. Well, start somewhere where she could easily disguise herself…Tattooine came to mind, because it would be easy for Shaak Ti to re-invent herself. But Shili would welcome her with open arms for sure, and she didn't have to worry about the Hutts. But some people might know her, and some might want money. The new empire would seek her death for sure. Shaak Ti hurried through Coruscant's streets, eventually ducking into a random doorway. 

Loud music was blasting from inside; probably a night club. And, sure enough, Shaak Ti found herself in the middle of a mass of dancing humanoids of all different species, colors, and statures. Shaak Ti wove through the crowd, shaking off anyone who came close to her at all. She broke free of the crowd, shoving into the back of the nightclub and breaking free of the masses by dodging through an exit door. Well, dodging was the graceful version. Shaak Ti practically fell out of the nightclub, then took off again, dipping and dodging through the back alleys of the city. Shaak Ti couldn't even stop to breathe: she needed to _move!_

Getting off the planet seemed to be a good thing. Shaak Ti knew that she couldn't go back to the Temple and get a starship-too risky. Public transit? Someone might recognize her…Shaak Ti wasn't about to steal a starship. She didn't need even more bounty on her head. Well, it would be public transit, then. Shaak Ti headed for the station, slipping quietly onto the ship. "To Shili," she said softly, paying the pilot, "and I was never here."

The pilot, a Mon Calamari, nodded, and accepted Shaak Ti's pay-plus the small extra she threw in there. She knew money could be an incentive for people to keep their mouth shut, and also knew that some people were willing to pay decent money for her location. Well, that should hold out a few standard days, if anyone managed to track her this far. Shaak Ti sat down in the back of the ship, keeping her face turned away from the window. Better not to take chances; she was quite famous. The ship took off shortly after, and Shaak Ti found herself staring back at Coruscant as the ship cruised away from the planet. _I'm sorry, _she found herself thinking, as if that could do anyone any good now. Shaak Ti slouched down in her seat, bracing her knees on the seat in front of her.

All alone in the universe.

_I never could've seen this far  
I never could've seen this coming  
Seems like my world's falling apart_

Yeah…

Shaak Ti felt the ship jump to hyperspace, and settled down even further in her seat. She stared out the window for a while, satisfied with the streaks of light that was the inside of hyperspace. She was thinking too hard. Anakin...she had known he was antsy, but so that he would turn to the dark side? There had to be something else to this. And Darth Sidious suddenly emerging? This must have been in the making for years! Shaak Ti shook her head, resting her forearms on her thighs. This was so confusing…

Why is everything so hard  
I don't think I can deal with the things you said  
It just won't go away

The ship dropped out of hyperspace, and Shaak Ti glanced out the window, shaking her head and focusing her eyes. There it was…the red orb that was Shili. Her homeland…the ship began its decent, and Shaak Ti slowly sat up. She stretched her coiled muscles, shaking herself out as the ship docked in the station. Shaak Ti stood up, exiting the bus and slipping the pilot a bit of extra money. "I was never here," she repeated, and exited the ship.

White armor met her eyes.

_  
In a perfect world  
This could never happen  
In a perfect world  
You'd still be here  
And it makes no sense  
I could just pick up the pieces  
But to you  
This means nothing  
Nothing at all_

"Jedi Master Shaak Ti, you are under arrest for high treason."

Shaak Ti rolled her eyes. "If only you knew how many time I've heard that one," she drawled. "Excuse me." She stepped forward confidently through the clone troopers waiting for her, acting as if nothing was wrong. The first one, apparently the leader by his speech and position at the forefront of the troops, grabbed her arm. Shaak Ti easily twisted her arm, sending the clone flying into his comrades. Shaak Ti bolted, careening kamikaze-style through the ten or twenty clones that were standing in her way. Her lightsaber leapt to her hand, deflecting any blaster fire headed for her back. She ran again, heading for the wild lands of Shili. She could always tame a reek-they were wild, and she could usually get them to listen to her by using the Force. If she could get t the scrublands, she would be safe.

I used to think that I was strong  
Until the day it all went wrong  
I think I need a miracle to make it through

Yeah

Shaak Ti was flying at this point. She had a skill that the troopers didn't at moving through crowds. She had switched off her lightsaber; it drew too much attention. And now that they were in a crowd, the troopers had stopped firing. Most of the people in the area were Togrutas, and Shaak Ti blended in perfectly. She flew through the city, though, instead, seeking the scrublands that were home to the reeks and other wild beasts that normally preyed on Togrutas. Shaak Ti found herself at the edge of the city again, and suddenly had a tough decision to make. Safety in numbers, or safety in the open? Shaak Ti decided to stay within the crowd, and only flee to the open land if she was forced to. The Jedi ducked into a bar-she could easily lose the troopers in there.

I pictured I could bring you back  
I pictured I could turn back time  
Cuz I can't let go  
I just can't find my way  
Yeah  
Without you I just can't find my way

Left and right, back and forth…Shaak Ti found herself weaving calmly through the bar, threading her way through to the front of the establishment. She sat down at the bar itself, ordered a drink, and took a look around. It seemed that she had lost the troopers…thank the stars. She was beginning to wonder how much like Qui-Gon she was becoming. She had met the Jedi master in her lifetime, and had been on a mission or two with him. He didn't find trouble: trouble found him. He seemed to have a knack for sniffing it out, though.

In a perfect world  
This could never happen  
In a perfect world  
You'd still be here  
And it makes no sense  
I could just pick up the pieces  
But to you  
This means nothing  
Nothing at all

Shaak Ti spent a few minutes in the bar, drinking down a soft drink and taking swift glances around. Her montrals allowed her to keep track of just about everyone in the room, and they also told her a small bit about the conversations going on around her. Apparently, news of the Jedi Slaughtering hadn't reached Shili-no one was talking about it. Shaak Ti left the bar, slipping a tip for the bartender under the edge of her empty glass. She left the bar through a back door, closing it softly and turning around to walk away. She made her way back into the street, mingling expertly and pondering her next move.

Obviously, she couldn't stay here.

I don't know what I should do now  
I don't know where I should go  
I'm still here waiting for you  
I'm lost when you're not around  
I need to hold on to you  
I just can't let you go

_Yeah  
Yeah_

More troopers ahead. Shaak Ti breezed past them easily, blending right into the crowds. She made her way back to the more populated part oft own, heading for an old friend's place. She and a male Togruta named Talz had met up a few years ago on a mission of Shaak Ti's, and Talz owed her a favor. Shaak Ti knew exactly where to find him: he had told her himself. Now, Shaak Ti headed for the closest mechanics shop, knowing that was where she would find her friend Talz. He had told her: "first shop off the port," and so that was what she was going with. As Shaak Ti parted the curtains hanging over the door, she called out, "Talz!" A male Togruta popped up from behind a starship, covered in grease and grinning like a Chesire cat.

"Heard you coming," he said, tapping his own montrals. "I can hear your step from light years away, I swear."

Shaak Ti smiled, and gave Talz a small laugh. "Thanks, but I came here looking for a way off the planet," she said. "Preferably something that isn't too noticeable…"

Talz nodded. He walked around to the other side of the starship he had been working on, wiping his hands on a rag stuck in his back pocket. "Can do," he said. "Pretty little Jedi made an enemy already?"

Shaak Ti rolled her eyes. "The entire effin' Empire," she growled. She waved her hand at Talz's confused look. "Holonet will have it up in a few minutes. Watch the news tonight, 'kay? And I was never here."

Talz smiled and nodded. "You were never here."

_In a perfect world  
This could never happen  
In a perfect world  
You'd still be here  
And it makes no sense  
I could just pick up the pieces  
But to you  
This means nothing  
Nothing at all  
Nothing, nothing at all  
Nothing at all_

As Shaak Ti worked with Talz to flee Shili, she found herself thinking again. How many other Jedi had been lost? That massive shift in the Force...it wasn't all from the Temple, Shaak Ti knew. Other Jedi had to have died. Especially with the clones seemingly turning on the Jedi-Shaak Ti saw that from the incident at the landing platform. Her friends: Luminara, Kit, Obi-Wan, Aayla-! And what of the Masters sent to arrest Palpatine? Mace, Saesee, Agen...they must have been killed. Shaak Ti felt tears blossoming again. She may well be...the last Jedi alive.

**A/N: Well, another Star Wars thing from me…second one, I'm proud of myself. Anyway, this will follow Shaak Ti's journey through her time in self-exile, until she finally gets to a settlement with herself-and the Empire. She will meet Vader at some point, so stay with me. Review, please. It makes me happy. Except flames-I feed those to my pet fire demon. Song is Perfect World by Simple Plan.**


	2. Chapter 2

Talz's ship was a dream. Equipped with cloaking devices, powerful shields, three-hundred and sixty degree-angle laser cannons. Shaak Ti had also found several hidden closets, storage compartments, and even an invisibility shield that she could use for…multiple purposes. The Togruta had left her friend with a bit of cash and some tips on avoiding their new enemies, and then said her farewells. She had left in a hurry-if the Empire couldn't trace her, it would be better for everyone. Shaak Ti was now cruising past the first of several hyperspace portals, choosing the one that lead to Tattooine. She jumped the ship into hyperspace, and the ship immediately streaked ahead like a lightning bolt. Shaak Ti couldn't help but smile, even the smallest bit: Talz kept his ships in pristine condition, and they all ran like a dream. Too bad Shaak Ti couldn't drive like Anakin…too bad Anakin wasn't around. He would have really enjoyed this.

Shaak Ti eased the ship out of hyperspace after a few minutes, dropping out right in front of the mangled mess that was the desert planet of Tattooine. Shaak Ti rather hated the sand bucket; partly because she hated the climate, partly because she hated the geography, and partly because she hated the inhabitants. Few people on Tattooine were honest, and even fewer weren't in cahoots with the Hutts. Nasty, slimy, worms…Shaak Ti couldn't stand them. Not at all. It was a disgusting race of creatures that had somehow wound up in the galaxy, by some genetic mistake or the other. Disgusting; positively, absolutely, disgusting. Shaak Ti knew that Tattooine was pretty much controlled by Hutts and bounty hunters working together, she knew she could disguise herself easily here. And, if worst came to worst, everyone was always open to hiring a Togruta dancer…

Shaak Ti slowed the ship's descent as she neared the planet, landing a fair distance away from any town of any sort. Drawing attention to herself was the last thing she needed. She could make herself right at home in the desert, once she got a few essentials. Talz's ship came equipped with a theft shield that protected against anything, from Jawas to bounty hunters. But it didn't do so well against laser bolts….

Shaak Ti left the ship, not bothering to disguise herself as she whiskered through the streets of Tattooine, drawing many a gasp and a whisper. If Shili hadn't heard the news about Jedi, the Tattooine certainly hadn't. And besides, she would probably get attacked, anyway. The sheer amount of thieves and thugs around these parts was simply incredible. Shaak Ti ducked into a small shop off to the left, purchased some food, and then left again within minutes. She walked back down the streets, bag hanging from one hand, the other dangling close to her hidden lightsaber.

"Yer a Jedi, huh?"

Shaak Ti didn't pause for the slightly slurred voice of a Rodian that sought her attention. "Maybe," she answered lightly. She kept walking at the same brisk pace she had picked up earlier, coming into town, and walked right past the Rodian, who she suspected a bounty hunter.

"Not another step."

Shaak Ti simply raised a brow at the tall man standing in front of her. "Must we?" she asked, sounding disinterested and somewhat bored. "I just got some food, and I'd like to put it away before I spilled your blood into it…"

The man was human, but somewhere close to six foot four. He was large, with broad shoulders and a shaved head. He had a mustache and a beard that wrapped around his mouth, but was cut off across his jaws. He had bushy eyebrows, and looked like he hadn't seen a shower in years. He carried a rather large and intimidating rifle, which Shaak Ti knew was large enough to bring down a bantha, let alone a smaller, humanoid creature, like a Togruta…and Shaak Ti was in no mood to be shot. The man's brow tightened at her comment, and he slammed a fresh pack into his rifle. "Sweetheart, I don't mean to be rude, but a pretty lady like you really shouldn't be mouthing off to people in the streets, like that. You look like nothing more than a servant girl to me!"

Shaak Ti's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she lifted her lips off her teeth in a grotesque imitation of smile, showing off her slavering, pointed teeth. "Does a servant girl keep her venom?" she asked slowly, preying on the rumors that a Togruta's bite was poisonous. Merely rumors, but Shaak Ti could play them up. "Is a servant girl instructed in the art of using the Force?" A small, round fruit drifted through the air towards Shaak Ti, hovered above her hand, and abruptly imploded and fell to the ground. "And does a servant girl carry one of these?" Shaak Ti's lightsaber sprang to her hands, and ignited within the same breath. The blue blade burst forth, and singed the man's throat as Shaak Ti swung it dangerously close to him. "Now, I suggest you get some manners, you greasy bar pig," Shaak Ti said menacingly, baring her fangs again. "We Jedi Masters, especially Council members as myself, don't take kindly to slobs with no manners such as yourself. Seems you don't know how to treat a lady, either."

The man swallowed hard, leaning over backwards under the threat of Shaak Ti's blade. "I-I didn't know," he gasped, trying to back away from the blade. Throughout the entire affair, Shaak Ti still hadn't dropped her dinner. The man was amazed; the skill and ease with which the Togruta had taken control of the situation was astounding. It seemed like she was ordering dinner-which she still had! "I-I thought all the Jedi were wiped out-"

"Pitiful street rumors," Shaak Ti snarled, bearing down on the man. "Don't you dare treat anyone else like that, because I will still be around, and probably will be for a while. So don't think that you can get away with anything while I'm here!" Shaak Ti's blue blade slid mercifully back into its handle, and the man straightened, with a sigh of relief. Shaak Ti re-attached her lightsaber to her belt, and started down the street again. Not surprisingly, people allowed her a wide berth. The Togruta woman simply walked down the street, out into the desert, and boarded her ship again to eat her lunch.

Shaak Ti fled the planet the next morning.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

If people were even hearing rumors that the Jedi had all been wiped out, it wasn't safe for Shaak Ti there anymore. To some other planet, then…Naboo? Alderaan? Peaceful planets, but news travelled quickly to them…well, Shaak Ti had friends there. Bail Organa and Padme Amidala, both Senators, and Bail, the king of the planet! Padme, former queen. Shaak Ti could at least stay there for a time…her friends would shield her from the empire as long as possible, she knew. But Shaak Ti couldn't put that burden on a friend…she would only go to them if she absolutely needed it. If she could simply stay on the planet, that would be fine…Shaak Ti exhaled slowly, slumped over the control panel, with her face buried in her hands. She couldn't see what had come over Anakin…to do something like that…to Obi-Wan, to her, to Mace, to Kit, to Aayla, to Adi, to Stass Allie…Shaak Ti let go of one, choking sob, and then stuffed down the rest of her tears. If she could find someone-anyone-she would have hope. But, for now, she needed to keep her chin up, and keep hoping that out there somewhere was another Force-user, one who had survived the Emperor's evil plan. Maybe even a few…so man assumed dead, or simply missing…! There had to be someone else! Shaak Ti sighed, and set the ship's curse for Alderaan first. She knew Bail Organa was there, and Padme was not. She was on Coruscant for some reason or the other…Shaak Ti checked her navigation systems, and discovered that she was relatively close to Alderaan. She set course, and flew in a daze. She could hardly focus on flying the ship, and one hand was almost always drifting towards the autopilot button. But, Shaak Ti reached Alderaan in good time. She entered the planet's atmosphere, and found a decent landing strip, near the capitol, to land on. She landed smoothly, switched off the engine, and exited the ship. She began looking around for someone, anyone, who might direct her to Bail's whereabouts.

"May I help you, Master Jedi?"

Shaak Ti's attention was suddenly drawn to the man standing at the foot of her ships' landing ramp. "Yes," Shaak Ti said slowly, descending the ramp. The man nodded, and stepped to the side, falling into step next to Shaak Ti as she stepped off the ramp. "I'm looking for Senator Organa," she said politely, walking next to the man. "I am aware that he is here?"

"I can't allow you to see him."

Shaak Ti paused for a moment, her step faltering. "May I inquire as to why?" she asked, trying to remain polite. She was also trying to get a sense of how strong this man was mentally; if he was weak enough, she would try a mind trick. There were few Shaak Ti couldn't fool, between the Force and her persuasion skills.

"The Emperor has declared that all Jedi be arrested and brought to him for trial," the man said, stopping next to Shaak Ti. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to take you into custody."

Shaak Ti let a growl of frustration slip from her throat. "Very well then," she said, raising a hand to push one lekku over her shoulder. There-the man's eyes had flickered to her hand. Perfect; she had him locked in her spell. "You will allow me to speak with the senator," Shaak Ti said firmly, "And you will tell no one else of my presence, nor my request to speak with the senator."

"I will allow you to speak with the senator," the man said slowly, completely fallen for Shaak Ti's magic, "And I will tell no one of your presence here, nor your request to speak with the senator."

Shaak Ti smiled. "Thank you," she said, as the man led her to a transport that, he said, would take them directly to the palace. Shaak Ti passed the ride in silence, simply 

looking out the windows and wondering what Bail would think, especially after hearing her request for help. Would he side with the Empire…? Nonsense! Bail Organa was an intelligent, good-hearted man. He would never side with something so clearly evil! Shaak Ti jumped off the transport as soon as it stopped, bolting into the castle where Bail and his wife lived. She sped through the hallways, using the Force to locate Bail. She needed to speak to him urgently, and she was pretty certain this qualified as an emergency. Shaak Ti finally arrived at a conference room, where Bail was having a small meeting. Something about the planet's governmental system. Shaak Ti knocked on the door, waiting for a response before she even touched the control panel. A slightly muffled, "Come in!" issued from within the room, and so Shaak Ti slowly depressed the button to open the door. The door swished open, and Shaak Ti stepped through-to suddenly be met with the business end of several blasters. "Whoa, hey," she said quickly, holding up her hands. "Watch who you point those things at-I'm not exactly a criminal!"

Bail motioned placatingly to the other people in the room. "My apologies, Master Ti," he said, "But these people really don't know who to believe anymore."

Shaak Ti nodded. "Certainly understandable," the Togruta commented. She slowly unclipped her lightsaber from her belt, moving forward and setting it on the table. She then took two steps back, folding her arms across her chest. "There. You're armed, I'm not. Now, will you please listen to me? This is a very serious matter we have, here. Palpatine has completely commandeered the governmental system of the galaxy and turned it into a monarchy. He tricked everyone and anyone into thinking that the Jedi are evil, and wanted to take over the Republic, and had us all executed. Not many survived; I can feel several other presences, but barely enough to keep the light side of the Force alive. So, I come to you, Senator Organa," Shaak Ti said, turning to Bail, "Asking-no, begging, you assistance. On every planet I have gone to so far, I have been attacked, and many seek my arrest and execution. Senator, please, I cannot express in words my need for your help. If I could simply stay on the planet here, hidden from Imperial sight, I would be eternally grateful." Shaak Ti considered going down on her knees, but decided not to overdue it. If no one believed her, then it would be time for extreme measures. She couldn't imagine, though, that the Alderaan people would try to harm her, after so many years of loyal service. And Shaak Ti and Bail were on first name terms-they were friends, really, so he should know something of what was going on.

"Master Ti, you will be happy to know, that both Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi are alive," Bail said, rising to properly greet the Jedi Master. Shaak Ti's relieved exhale seemed more like a gasp of joy, and she practically collapsed to the floor right then and there. Two being, so powerful in the Force-they could do this, they really could! If only they remained alive, and started training more Jedi in secret…they could keep the Force alive! Bail caught Shaak Ti in his arms, waiting a moment until she composed herself. Shaak Ti then straightened herself out, taking a step back, and whispering a small thank-you to the senator. Bail turned to the rest of the people in the room, addressing them: "Master Ti is my good friend. She is a great Jedi Master, possibly the best in the Order. She and I are friends personally, and I, too, have felt great disproval at the new changes within the Senate. It's not even a Senate anymore." He turned to Shaak Ti, extending his hand to her. "I say, we allow Master Ti to stay here until she desires to leave."

There was a slow, but sure murmur of affirmation from the rest of the meeting, and Shaak Ti felt like she could cry with joy. Finally…!

Finally, a safe haven.

**A/N: Yay, first review!! : ) Torli and lordtrayus, you are awesome, and this chapter is completely dedicated to you. Just so everyone who reads this is clear, I only update a story if there is one review per chapter. Anonymous reviews are enabled; you have no excuse!! It does not take that much time/effort to tell me what you think of the story; please take the time to do so.**


	3. Chapter 3

Shaak Ti ended up settling in a small neighborhood on the outskirts of the main city of Alderaan, in what could best be called the suburbs around the capitol city. She and Bail worked out a private deal in which Shaak Ti would serve as the police officer for that town: a single Jedi in hiding, acting as a keeper of the peace? It was ironic…terribly ironic. Shaak Ti had found out that Yoda had fled to an unknown planet, leaving his location indisposed even to Bail. Obi-Wan had taken off to Tattooine, and Bail had heard nothing of any other Jedi surviving.

Shaak Ti had gone home and wept that evening.

She could sense the light side of the Force, barely alive and beating, struggling against the overpowering darkness that threatened to engulf it, every moment of every day. Shaak Ti knew that now, above all times, she had to keep her heart pure: a single misstep on this tightrope she walked would send her plummeting down to the swirling, inky darkness below. Shaak Ti spent her time around town, simply walking the streets and straying out into the peaceful countryside. Children had a tendency to follow her; Shaak Ti welcomed them gladly, teaching them about healing herbs and such. She had found no Force-sensitive's among them, much to her disappointment. A Padawan would ensure that the light side grew stronger, and that her legacy-and that of the Jedi-would be continued.

Shaak Ti was now sitting out on top of a large hill, staring down at the market square beneath her and watching people bustle about their lives. It was odd, seeing something this tranquil, this untouched by the terrifying white that many had come to know as the bringers of conflict and war. Another irony: their leader dressed entirely in black. Shaak Ti found a wry grin work its way over her face; Skywalker, now Darth Vader, had truly lost himself, hadn't he? "Poor boy…" Shaak Ti whispered, more to the wind to even herself, "Poor, pitiable soul…the Sith always kill each other. I wish I could tell you…but you'll know that soon enough. Your fate is to die by your master's hand. Your master's fate is to die by your hand. With any amount of luck, you will both destroy each other in your own greed. A fitting end for one so obsessed with themselves and their own power and position."

Little did Shaak Ti know, her words would soon become immortal. Immortal in the mind of a young boy named Starkiller. Christened as such…by his master.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Darkness finally fell on the land, and Shaak Ti found the inner strength to walk back into the village. She knew she had been out in the sun, up on the hill, the entire day, and also that her orange skin would probably be sunburned to a tomato red the next day. But, hey, one never knew-she might just get lucky. Shaak Ti sighed, pushing herself up off the ground with one hand and balancing herself with the other. She worked her stiff legs underneath her, standing up with a short sigh and brushing off her skirts. She gently took them by the sides and shook them, watching as shreds of grass and bits of dirt fell to the ground. Shaak Ti sighed once more, but this time, it was a longer, more wistful sigh, and she clearly expressed her despondence to the world. Not that there was anyone around to hear…

"Master Ti?"

Shaak Ti turned her head around at the voice, dark eyes settling on a young boy, a human with dark hair and dark eyes. He appeared human, but Shaak Ti could sense something odd about him. She fully turned to see the boy clearly, and realized, with a start, that he wasn't that young at all. He was, in fact, a teenager, and only looked so young because he was behind Shaak Ti, on the slope of the hill, and in the shadows of the moon. If Shaak Ti had to place his age, she would set him at around eighteen! She was surprised that she had taken him for someone so young.

"Forgive me for intruding," the boy continued, "But I am Galen Marek. I have come to seek your assistance in a matter concerning the Jedi…"

Shaak Ti raised a single brow. It had been a week since Order Sixty-six had been activated…a week since she had come to Alderaan. Had she been found already? What could this boy possibly want? "I was instructed to find a Jedi," Galen continued, reaching into a back pocket for something. "And…" Galen's hand came back around, in it, grasped a long, metal handle of-

"And kill her."

A red blade spurted from the end of the lightsaber's handle, and Shaak Ti leapt backwards barely in time. A gasp of surprise issued from her throat; her own lightsaber leapt into her hand. "Dear boy, you seem confused," Shaak Ti offered, raised a hand to brush her lengthy head-tail over her shoulder. She caught Galen's eyes moving towards her hand and saw the lock on. The Force flew up in a wave, washing over the boy and taking control of his mind. "You were not instructed to kill me. You were supposed to simply give up your lightsaber to me."

Seconds later, and the lightsaber was impaled in the ground in front of Shaak Ti, and Galen was gone.

Shaak Ti gave a sigh of relief, and picked up the saber, repossessing the blade into the handle. She needed to get out of here…she had been found, and thus uprooted, once again. Shaak Ti went straight to her home, a small building at the end of a street that backed into forest, and made a holo-recording, explaining to Bail how she had to get out of there-again. She gave him instructions on how to contact her, and then instructions to destroy this message after he had received it. Shaak Ti left the recording on Bail's doorstep, and then fled Alderaan.

She found herself almost in tears the entire way.

OOOOOOOOOO

"M-Master, I-I didn't know she was so strong! Y-You know I can resist even you, to an extent! Please, Master…Lord Vader, please, do not punish me so severely! She was too strong, and she just-!"

"Silence!"

A thundering command from Darth Vader snapped Galen's maw shut in an instant. He was on his knees, now, in front of his master, begging with him not to be incapacitated for life. Hell, he was lucky to even live to see the next five minutes, at this rate!

"That wench," Vader swore, pacing back and forth in front of his cowering apprentice. His black cloak whipped back and forth with every lap Vader made, snapping dangerously close to Galen's face. "She had not only injured you, but added insult to such! Your lightsaber, Galen?! A Sith lightsaber, surrendered to a Jedi! A woman, to boot!"

"A-A very scary woman," Galen whimpered, cowering away from Vader. Vader gave a sound from his vocalizer-a snort? Something equivalent, Galen was sure.

"She might be scary, but you can defeat her. I know you can, Galen. You were simply unprepared. I'll fix that problem, in time. But for now, get up. Get out of my sight, so I will not choke you to death."

Galen stood up, and practically ran from the room. Darth Vader looked out the window of the bridge of his ship, the Executor, and stared at the bright blue that was Alderaan beneath him. Somewhere down there, Shaak Ti was residing, thinking herself safe under the protection of a Senator. Well, she was sorely mistaken!

"I will kill you, Shaak Ti," Vader swore, whispered to himself in the safe confines of his mask. "If it is the very last thing I do. Accursed woman, witch, feel the wrath of the Sith!!"

OOOOOOOOOO

This was so it.

Shaak Ti had had it up to here with the Sith! The endless hunting, the endless harassing, the endless chasing…Shaak Ti was on her fourth planet since Alderaan, but she had hope for this one. She could the light side of the Force swirling about, lost, in the planet, and hoped that maybe she could settle there and at least find an apprentice before killing herself and doing the Sith a favor. It would certainly put her out of her misery. Shaak Ti sighed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. No, death was the coward's way out. It was the way of the dark side. She could cloak herself in the light side here, since it was naturally like that. Vader might sense a shift, but that was about it.

Shaak Ti landed her starship in a swamp.

Well, wasn't that a good omen? Landing in a mud puddle overgrown with trees and flesh-eating pitcher plants. Still, Shaak Ti knew it was her best option at this point. But she needed to find a permanent solution soon: she was running out of planets. The Togruta master carefully moved her ship onto dry land, where it wouldn't sink and die in mud, and then killed the engine. She popped open the cockpit shield, glanced down to make sure she was out of the muck, and then jumped out onto the wing of the fighter. Perfect-a good ten yards away from any ship-eating mud! Shaak Ti felt a small smile worm its way over her features, and she jumped down from the wing of the starfighter down onto solid ground. She found herself in the middle of seemingly nowhere-only plants, plants, and more plants could be seen around her, in a dense rainforest-like set-up. Shaak Ti sighed, and decided to get to work on a decent shelter.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"_Well, find her!!"_

Another control console buckled under Vader's fist, and the enraged Sith lord proceeded to go on a rampage. The entire ship soon knew his wrath, and, within the hour, Darth Vader had managed to raise the body count on the Executor to something forty. Sith lightning, a Force choke or two, and a bloody lightsaber cut a swath of destruction straight to the observation tower, where Vader killed the operator in the lift. He set the lift's drives to overload, and rocketed up to the top of the tower, where his master, Darth Sidious, was residing currently.

"Lor Sidious!" Vader cried, exited the lift and storming towards his master, red lightsaber still burning like a stick on fire at his side. Sidious slowly turned to face Vader from his seat: he had turned his chair to overlook the rest of the ship, and now turned it back to face his apprentice.

"Lord Vader, I could sense your anger all the ay across the ship. Young man, what troubles you?"

"Shaak Ti!" Vader exploded, impaling the ground with his lightsaber. "The damned woman still refuses to be found, or to die! We can't convince her to kill herself from mere pressure; we can't catch her; we can't kill her ourselves! My master, with all due respect, this is becoming ridiculous!"

Sidious seemed unfazed by his apprentice's outrage. "Patience, my boy, she will die," he consoled, gesturing placatingly to Vader. "She has simply not given up yet. But, soon, she will. After all, is she not running out of planets?"

"She's on her eighth," Vader growled, through what would have been gritted teeth in a full human. Sidious smiled gently. "And what planet are we on, as far as chasing her goes?"

Vader paused for a moment, seemingly ashamed of his answer, and then said, "Our sixth."

Sidious frowned, but said nothing. "Well, then, redouble your efforts," he said. "Hopefully, we can also flush out a few more while we're at it."

Darth Vader sighed, but bowed in grudging respect for his master. "Yes, Master," he muttered, and turned tail for the lift. Sidious smirked, and turned his view back to the Executor's window.

"Rest assured, Shaak Ti, we are not giving up on you. You may have fled Hoth, but now, we are going to find you again. And, my darling, I swear to you: you will either join me…or die."

**A/N: This probably isn't going to get updated as frequently as my other stories, because I am decidedly lacking muse for this one. But, I swear, I will keep this up-to-date, and I will try to get an update in once every two weeks at the very most. Please stay with me, and keep reviewing, guys-you keep me going!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Shaak Ti spent the first week of her time on Felucia alone.

The entire time, she had no desire other than to get by alive, and undetected. Hell, just plain "alive" would do at this point…Shaak Ti had made herself a lovely little hut to call her home, somewhere near an old tree trunk. The dwelling was stable, and made of wood and animal skins. Shaak Ti couldn't bear to slaughter innocent animals, and so, she had gone searching for dead ones, taken the skins, and wove them into coverings for her dwelling. It was a dwelling, at best: it was like a tepee in style, with the old tree's trunk as the center support pole, and several of its branches as the cone shape. Shaak Ti was quite comfortable in it for now. It had everything she needed, and nothing she didn't. Shaak Ti could bother with technology later: for now, all she needed was herself and the Force.

Which, apparently, from the mouth of Destiny and The Fates, wasn't enough.

Shaak Ti had begun to creep her way into civilization a few days later, occasionally going into the market and using the few credits she had left from Alderaan's grateful people to buy what she needed and couldn't get from the wildlife of Felucia. Shaak Ti was quickly gaining a name, though: it wasn't often that a Togruta was seen on Felucia, especially now that the war was "over." People began noticing Shaak Ti around, and then, the rumors started flying. She was a witch. She was a wanna-be Jedi. She was a hermit. She was crazy. She worshiped some dark god. But only one rumor was true: that she was a Jedi, fallen from favor in the Republic and condemned to die by the Empire. Word was, she had bounty to rival that of a bounty hunter themselves. Shaak Ti knew that it was true: she probably had something resembling four million credit's worth of bounty on her head. And everyone in the galaxy had her pegged as a crazy old woman, fallen Jedi and recluse.

One day, someone actually approached her about it.

"Are you a Jedi?"

It was a young, human girl, with dark eyes and thick, curly black hair. Shaak Ti, startled, almost dropped the fruit she was holding in one hand. Her gaze snapped around to stare at the girl, still somewhat in shock by the seemingly-random question. "Young lady, all the Jedi were wiped out," Shaak Ti started, choosing her words very, very carefully. She wanted to avoid lying at all costs, but she also wanted to avoid the truth. "What makes you think I am one?"

"You robes. Plus, I saw your lightsaber."

"Well, maybe I killed a Jedi and stole it from him," Shaak Ti offered, borrowing the excuse from her long-time friend Qui-Gon. The girl shook her head.

"No one can kill a Jedi."

Shaak Ti sighed, nostalgia burning at her with a flaming vengeance. "I wish that were true," she murmured. "Otherwise, the entire Order wouldn't have been wiped out, am I wrong?"

The girl shook her head persistently. "It's the will of the Force. The Chosen One did it to bring balance. It's all part of the plan."

Shaak Ti's eyes narrowed, and she chose to ignore the girl for a moment. She made her purchase, moving herself and the girl out of the way with her bag of herbs and medicines. "Girl, what are you to be saying this?" Shaak Ti hissed angrily. "Are you a prophet? A sorceress? Tell me, child."

The girl shrugged. "I just know." Her innocence was striking; Shaak Ti recognized it, and the same look in her eye, as that of one late Anakin Skywalker…

"You ever raced Pods?"

The girl smiled, and laughed. "Pods? Those are for aliens!"

Shaak Ti offered the girl a smile. "Not if you're the Chosen One. Now, I don't suppose you would be willing to do something for me?"

The girl shrugged. "As long as I can be home before dinner."

Shaak Ti sighed. "Alright, first, what is your name? Second, do you frequently have experiences such as this, where you randomly approach people and just…know these things?"

"My name is Maris Brood," the girl started, "And I'm twelve. In human years, anyway. And yeah, this kind of stuff happens all the time. I usually find out in dreams."

Shaak Ti's heart leapt into her throat. A Force-sensitive! But…would this turn out to be another Dark-side user? No…she seemed to know nothing of what her gift entailed. Her aura didn't strike Shaak Ti as dark, either…merely misguided, or misdirected. Maybe fearful…? Shaak Ti shook it off. This girl was definitely a Force-sensitive. And now, Shaak Ti had a Padawan. But, strangely, she didn't feel happy. She felt…disappointed? Burdened? She should feel exactly the opposite! But, somehow, Shaak Ti got the feeling that this was only the beginning of her problems. The Togruta female shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"You're troubled."

Shaak Ti sighed, knowing now, more than ever, how deeply this girl was in tune with the Force. She had to train her: it was her destiny, and the girl's. There was no getting around it, and Shaak Ti was sure Maris could sense it, as well: this was not their will, or coincidence, but part of some greater scheme, not up to mortals to decide.

"I would like to speak to your parents."

OOOOOOOOO

"I do realize this is awkward, and please, forgive me for the sudden intrusion. But your daughter is a Force-sensitive, and she does need training."

Shaak Ti and Maris's parents were all in the kitchen, and young Maris was up in the bathroom, taking her shower. Shaak Ti had been as polite as possible when introducing herself to Maris's parents, trying to avoid the fact that she was a Jedi. She had also tried to keep the shock factor as low as possible, but that wasn't working out too well for her, either…

"And who are you to tell us that our child is going to be taken away from us?!" Maris's father exclaimed. "Who do you think you are, some sort of…some kind of Jedi?!"

Shaak Ti sighed and defeat, and held up both of her hands defensively. "Sir, I never said that she would be taken away from you," Shaak Ti said softly. "All I am requesting is that you allow me to train her, for maybe a few hours each day. If we are not careful, her Force-sensitivity might be discovered by the Dark side, and she may be persuaded into evil. And I'm sure you don't want that, do you? Of course not; no good parent would. She would not even leave the planet, if you allowed me to train her: I could even come here, and the training would take place in your own home, if that makes you more comfortable."

"But you still haven't told us who exactly you are," Maris's father protested. "We don't even know if you know what you're talking about!"

Shaak Ti sighed. "Oh, dear, I was hoping it wouldn't lead down this path…" she murmured, bowing her head in what seemed like defeat. Finally, she lifted her head again, and held out her hand. "I am a Jedi," she declared, and her lightsaber was called from her sleeve into her hand. "Fallen from the Republic's favor, deceived by one we thought we could trust, and then condemned to be tried for treason and executed like a criminal who has done wrong. We were played, tricked, and manipulated into doing the Chancellor's-now the Emperor's-will, and then, he framed us for the entire war, and began feeding the Senate lies about us. Please, do believe me. I mean none of you any harm, I simply do not wish to be discovered by the Empire. It will mean certain death for myself, and certain destruction for all of Felucia. I'm sure you don't want that, either?"

Maris's mother and father both shook their heads, although, the father a bit more reluctantly then the mother. "I just wish there was something we could do," the mother stated sadly, seeming to sympathize with Shaak Ti's plight.

"There is," Shaak Ti said pleadingly. "Let me train Maris. I swear it to you, this can only do us all good."

"Prove to us you're a Jedi," Maris's father said roughly. "Before we let you do anything. And, if you do, it's going to be here."

"Completely understood," Shaak Ti said placatingly, and gave Maris's father a reassuring smile. "Now, I believe you were searching for proof of a Jedi? I may add that I was a Council member, and a general during the war. Your girl will receive only the finest instruction." Shaak Ti slowly extended her hand towards a piece of ribbon lying on the table, presumably Maris's, and slowly lifted it into the air using the Force. The ribbon was slowly tied into a bow, and then settled on the table again, directed by the motion of Shaak Ti's fingers and the twists of the Force. With her other hand, Shaak Ti ignited her lightsaber, causing the bright blue blade to jump forth from the hilt, springing into action with its deadly hum. Both of Maris's parents seemed put off by the lightsaber, and so Shaak Ti quickly returned it to its hiding place up her sleeve. She then glanced at the man and woman, as if seeking approval for something.

"You may train our daughter," Maris's father finally consented, and Shaak Ti breathed a sigh of relief. The Jedi would remain alive! "But all training will take place here, in this house or in the backyard, under my eye!" the man insisted, and Shaak Ti nodded knowingly.

"Of course, of course," she said swiftly. "I thank you very much for your generosity in allowing me to train Maris. I promise you, she will be one of the most important and well-known Jedi in all of history, if she can continue the Jedi line." Shaak Ti gave a grateful bow to both mother and father, and then straightened, risking a glance into their eyes. Maris's moth looked elated; her father looked skeptical, and possibly nervous. Well, Shaak Ti would prove to them that there was nothing to fear. But for now, she needed her rest, and she also needed something to eat. She decided to make arrangements for tomorrow, and then be on her way home. She didn't want to trouble Maris and her family any more than necessary.

"Well, when would be an alright time for me to come by?" Shaak Ti asked, glancing at Maris's father. She decided that she could ask him, since he seemed to be much more interested in watching Shaak Ti than Maris's mother was.

"Tomorrow, you may come at standard three o'clock p.m.," the man stated firmly. Shaak Ti nodded. It wasn't like she had anything better to do.

"Well, then, I will see you then," she said, giving a smaller bow of farewell. "I will see you tomorrow afternoon, then. Now, I must be off. I need to get myself something to eat before sundown."

"Oh, you may stay," Maris's mother offered quickly. Seeing as both her husband and Shaak Ti were about to protest, she added, "I insist. Please, it's the least we can do. It's got to be troublesome for you, living by yourself here, in hiding…"

"Oh, I couldn't impose," Shaak Ti insisted. "It's really no trouble for me to go home and make something for myself…" In reality, Shaak Ti wanted Maris's father's consent before she stayed. She suspected that he wasn't fond of her, and she would hate to make the situation awkward. Maris's mother seemed to see right through her though, and glanced at her husband rather pointedly.

"Well, why not?" Maris's father finally said. "Please, stay. We'd be honored to offer a Jedi a welcome…"

Shaak Ti paused, dark eyes leaping from Maris's mother to her father, and then back again. A smile slowly teased at the corners of her lips, and she decided that it might prove to be a beneficial opportunity for everyone to get to know each other.

"Okay."

**A/N: Yays for lateness…review? Please?**


	5. Chapter 5

Throughout the meal, Shaak Ti couldn't help but feel like there was someone there that didn't want her there. She largely suspected Maris's father, but tried to keep her judgment clear and impartial. She also tried not to make assumptions, although it was almost not an assumption anymore that Maris's father didn't take to her well.

"Hey, can you pass me the bread?" Maris asked, from down the table.

"Allow me," Shaak Ti said, using the Force to pass the basket down to Maris, and then return it to its original position. "Master Yoda would be very grumpy if he saw me do that," she confessed, offering a small laugh. Maris and her mother seemed to appreciate the joke, but all Shaak Ti got from her father was a smile. Well, it was progress, Shaak Ti decided. She tried to make small talk with the family, trying to make a good impression on them. By the time the evening was over, Maris and her mother both adored Shaak Ti, and Maris's father seemed much more comfortable around her. The ice was melting, and Shaak Ti decided to quit while she was ahead. She thanked the family extensively for the meal, promising to return tomorrow at the specified time. She left the family and returned to her own little home in the middle of nowhere feeling much better about tomorrow.

As Shaak Ti settled down in her bed, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. For all she knew, she could very well be the last Jedi. But still, it felt like there were others…the light side of the Force was still flickering, as if there were more Jedi out there struggling to hold on. Shaak Ti sighed, turning over and burying her rubicund complexion in the pillow, groaning with frustration. She couldn't move past this wall! She couldn't make herself do as all her training dictated to her to do, and that was to leave everything behind her, and not to hold a grudge against the Chancellor. Never thirst for revenge. But she knew she harbored this hatred, deep down in her heart, stemming from the fact that most of her comrades had been slaughtered, and she couldn't shake it. Nor could she shake the feeling of abandonment: like there was no one else in the world left. Shaak Ti knew she needed to get past this wall; but how? Much harder a question to answer…

Shaak Ti fell asleep to the sudden pounding of a monsoon.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti awoke to sunlight filtering in through the small window in her bedroom.

She slowly woke herself up mentally, and then hauled herself up and out of bed. There were some things Shaak Ti just didn't like, and getting up in the morning was one of them. It was disgustingly early, in Shaak Ti's opinion. Still, she managed to sit up and take a peek at her clock: seven o'clock standard hour. Oh, it was way too early! Shaak Ti fought her weaker half and swung her feet over the side of the bed, pausing to stretch. Shaak Ti felt her muscles give a bit, and deemed it satisfactory. She let her arms fall to her sides, took a single deep breath, and then let it all out in one swift huff. Shaak Ti used the momentum to propel herself out of bed, and headed into the bathroom to clean herself up.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Lord Vader, I do believe I've found a Jedi. It's not Shaak Ti, but he does hold some appeal, I believe. He, too, was a Council member, and he was a general in the war. He survived Order Sixty-Six by throwing himself off a mountain and into a river below. No one could find his body, so they assumed it had sunken to the bottom of the river, being dead. But, apparently, he wasn't dead."

"Who is it?" Vader wasn't particularly interested in anything at this point-after his initial denial of his current state, barely alive, and unable to even breathe for himself, Vader had lapsed into anger very quickly. He had tried bargaining-he had immersed himself in the Force, and tried to communicate with whatever being served as fate. But alas, he could find no such being. Now, after many, many failed attempts to find some semblance of a superior being, Darth Vader has lapsed into a sulking phase, in which he usually sat around and stared out into space, like any petulant teenager that had been turned to the dark side and then realized he had been tricked. And whenever he was disturbed, he usually threw something at whoever had interrupted his mindless staring, and/or used a force-induced choking move. But, this was a slightly different occasion. Because during his Force-induced choking, the man that was the subject of Vader's anger had choked out: "Jedi!" Vader had released him, and demanded he speak. The man had started blurting out something about the planet of Dantooine, and then something about a Jedi, and Vader had silenced him with a swift gesture. The man took several deep breaths, and started over, this time much calmer. Vader listened now, and finally, when the man was finished, asked about the identity of the Jedi they had found.

"His name is Even Piell," the man said, bracing himself for some sort of explosion. Both mental and physical training was required to deal with this man, he swore. Well, really, he wasn't even a man: something like twenty? Barely a man, how about that? Still, the man kept his voice relatively emotionless, and kept the contempt for serving someone much young than him out of his voice. He couldn't afford to get Vader angrier-or angry again.

"Piell?!" Vader exclaimed, startled. How had they happened upon him? Well, no matter: it was a Jedi Master, and they knew where he was. The chances were, he didn't know they were after him. "Plot course for Dantooine," Vader said. It felt like he was moving in the opposite direction from a very strong Force-presence, but that didn't matter now. He was going after one he knew was real, and he wasn't giving that up so easily!

OOOOOOOOOO

"So, it just kinda…does it?"

"Sort of…you direct it, but the Force is the actual moving force."

Maris cocked her head curiously, looking up at Shaak Ti with clear confusion on her face. "Huh…?"

"Um…" Shaak Ti glanced around the room of Maris's house they were practicing in, looking for something she could demonstrate with. The Brood family had a finished basement; Maris had been the one to suggest they use it for training, since there weren't any breakable items down there. In fact, there wasn't much of anything down there. In any other situation, that would have answered almost every one of Shaak Ti's prayers. But now, she was praying a different prayer. Finally, seeing nothing she could safely move, Shaak Ti decided to settle for a detailed explanation with examples.

"Okay, you have physical limitations, right? How far you can run, how much you can lift, how much you can throw-you with me so far?" Maris nodded wordlessly. "Well, within the Force, imagine all those limits are taken away. Because they are. Now, your only restriction is your mind. If you trust in the Force, you can do almost anything, really. You just need to get some practice, and then you can move up to levels beyond even your wildest moments in your imagination."

Maris's eyes widened at the thought, and Shaak Ti got the impression that Maris had a very, very, active imagination. "You understand?" Shaak Ti asked. "Kinda sorta, not really, yes, no?"

"Yeah…" Maris said slowly. "I guess. So, if there are no limitations on physical ability, how much can you lift?" the girl continued on to ask, all of a sudden very enthusiastic. Shaak Ti shrugged.

"I suppose anything feasible and conceivable by the mind of a mortal…what did you have in mind?"

"The house."

"I do not suggest lifting permanent places of dwelling," Shaak Ti said dryly. "Because the key word in that sentence was 'permanent.' Do you take my meaning?"

Maris nodded. "Yeah, that I get," she said quickly, "But could you? Have you ever tried?"

Shaak Ti gave Maris a small smile. "In theory, I could," she said, "and I have lifted objects heavier and larger in size than this house right here. But that's a story for a rainy day."

"It's partly cloudy. It could start raining any second."

"So I'll give you part of the story," Shaak Ti replied tartly. "Pick your poison."

"I'll take part of it," Maris said. "I can figure it out."

"I was on Hoth, and there was a mountain in front of me that I didn't want there."

Maris's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You moved the whole mountain?! Holy bantha poo!"

Shaak Ti shrugged. "Only about a half a mile. It didn't need to go far."

Maris shook her head. "I'll never be able to do that," she said dejectedly. "You're obviously so much more advanced than me-"

"Not so!" Shaak Ti said sharply. "I just have different natural talents, and I have more experience. If you believed in yourself and the powers of the Force, you could do exactly the same thing right now. But, since you lack the experience and the training to do it, you most likely could not except in a life-or-death situation. Then, the hand of fate would take over, and mortals cannot do a thing about it."

Maris nodded slowly. This was quite a lot to take in all at once. Shaak Ti decided that was enough with the explanations, and time to move on to the actual training. "Okay, come over here," she said, walking over to the corner of the room where there was no carpeting. She made sure Maris was off the carpet, and then held her hands down in front of her, palms turned down. "See what happens when you believe in the Force. Just watch, okay? Then, I'll hand this off to you."

Maris seemed interested at the prospect of moving something with merely her mind, and watched closely as Shaak Ti set to work. She closed her eyes, focusing herself on only the task at hand, blocking out all of her surroundings, and any potential distractions. Slowly, the entire carpet began to rise, rippling and then smoothing out as Shaak Ti balanced it with an invisible sheet of the Force underneath. Maris watched wordlessly, completely entranced and purely amazed by the display. Shaak Ti opened her eyes, glancing at Maris. "All you need to do is manipulate it in some way with the Force, and I'll be happy," she said. "Try to take it from me, and just hold it as long as you can. Just close your eyes, focus, and picture the core of your body-your soul. See it, surrounded by a life force? That is the Force-use that, and just believe in yourself-hey!!"

Maris had succeeded in ripping he carpet from Shaak Ti and flinging it across the room-a move way more advanced than Shaak Ti had ever thought her capable of.

"Did I do it?"

"Maris…sweetie, you flung it across the room."

Maris opened one eye, peeking around cautiously before opening the other. "Yeah, I pictured it doing that…"

"I might have mentioned that part of the deal, huh?"

"That's okay! It was fun!"

Shaak Ti sighed. "Just be careful? You might break something."

Maris shrugged. "I don't care."

"But your parents do," Shaak Ti said sweetly. "And I'm better at negotiating with a lightsaber in hand, so don't count on me talking your way out of it. I present the bare facts, and if you don't like it, tell it to the blue blade shining in my hand. That's my philosophy."

Maris nodded. "Good philosophy. So, speaking of lightsabers, when do I get mine?"

Shaak Ti sighed. Where, was more the question. The crystal pits were probably inaccessible, for any number of reasons, the new Empire at the forefront of Shaak Ti's concerns…

"Hopefully, soon."

Optimism made people live longer. It was scientifically proven.

**A/N: Decidedly lacking in muse…I am really feeling my Naruto romance stories, and this is slipping. I really am trying, because I know that a lot of people like this story, and I really hate leaving a story that people are reviewing for. Just keep it up, okay people? I know I'm not repaying you guys, but I really am trying. So, just bear with me, and hopefully, my muse for Star Wars will come back. O.O Please review? It makes me happy-and feeds this story.**


	6. Chapter 6

After their first day of training, Shaak Ti had to say she was satisfied. She had gotten a feel for Maris's talents, and where she stood within the Force. She didn't have the luxury of running a midichlorian test, but she knew that the count in Maris Brood was very high. Not like Anakin Skywalker, but it had to be getting close. Shaak Ti sat alone in her home now, meditating. She was sitting on the floor, slightly raised above it by her immersion in the life force around her, cross-legged and with her hands on her knees. Her eyes were closed, exemplifying her deep thought. She could sense shifts and rifts in the Force, and sought them out, to determine the cause. Mostly, it was minor conflicts within the world; totally normal, and virtually undetectable to most beings. But now, there was a noticeable defect in the fabric of time and life: a wrinkle in the flow of time. It was interesting, and slightly disturbing. Only the dark side could have caused such a breech. Shaak Ti's conscious floated closer, searching around the edges of the rift. She probed the edges, flitting around the cavernous ravine and investigating the nature of it. As she got closer, Shaak Ti could feel something; deep within her core, she felt a small tug, almost beckoning her closer to the traitorous rip in the stretch of life. The Togruta approached with caution-such an emotion within her, such a longing, surely spelled the dark side.

And the dark side, it was. Shaak Ti could see nothing but blackness as far as her eye could see, and even as far as her montrals could feel. She could sense only the weary heaviness o darkness, sliding around like molten lava with a consciousness. It frightened her, really. Shaak Ti leaned over a bit, trying to see if there was anything to behold beneath the surface. She stretched out her hand, trying to determine if the darkness was as solid as her montrals said it was.

Screams.

Shaak Ti gasped, bolting backwards and reeling from the shock. As soon as she had touched the inky blackness, she had felt the agony of thousands of lost souls, murdered before their time and dying in torment and roiling pain. Shaak Ti could feel them shocking her body, trying to pull her in, begging her for redemption-! As their hands reached for her, Shaak Ti tried to shake them off, denying her own death and defying the nature of things. Those who tampered with death were bound to die; that was the way things worked in natural occurrences. Shaak Ti felt it like an electrical current rushing through her body as the darkness found her, and laid its hands upon her, scratching at her skin, dragging her down into the deep abyss of sorrow and despair that these lost souls were forever doomed to exist in-

Shaak Ti's eyes flashed open.

A started cry burst from her lips as she abruptly hit the floor, sprawling out and trying to get her bearings. She slowly sat up, untangling herself from both her own limbs and her skirts, glancing around and trying to make sure she wasn't going to be dragged down into an endless sea of death and then die by drowning in that lake of despair and agony. She found nothing around her except her house. It scared her, to see what happened to all the lives that had been taken, and what might happen to her. A worthless, nameless soul, imprisoned in hell and damned to beg for mercy from whatever spirit happened upon her. What a fate…it certainly must take a toll on these souls. Shaak Ti slowly stood up, trying to maintain her balance and keep herself grounded in the real world. She finally allowed her held breath to rush out, and she took another deep breath. That was deeply disturbing.

Shaak Ti made her way to the kitchen, deciding a glass of water and a cookie might help calm her nerves. Sugar did wonders for Togrutas: it was like heroin, except it helped them calm down, instead of getting them high. Less habit-forming as well. Shaak Ti found a chocolate chip cookie, and then sat down at the kitchen table with that and a glass of milk. She took a few more deep breaths, ate her cookie, and drank her milk, and found herself much calmer. Shaak Ti got up to put her glass in the sink, and walked over to the refrigerator to put away the milk. But, as she stood up and put weight on her right foot, she felt a sting of pain. Shaak Ti waited a moment, and then tried to ankle. It wasn't broken, or twisted: what could have happened? Shaak Ti lifted the edge of her robes, looking down at the ankle.

Blood ran down her ankle and foot in rivulets, as if drawn by nails, blue-purple against her rubicund complexion.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti's breath was suddenly labored and shaky, and her heart sped up until she could hear t pounding in her ears. That was exactly where the spirits had grabbed her! How had something that happened in the spirit realm transferred itself to the realm of the living? Shaak Ti's heart almost gave out as she realized exactly how close she had come to dying. If those spirits had kept their hold…she really would have died, not have died in a vision. She wouldn't have ever woken up from her meditation. It wasn't just a bad dream she could wake up from and then just ignore. It wasn't a vision that could change. It wasn't something she could shake off. Shaak Ti's heart moved from a tribal drum to the wings of a hummingbird. Her thoughts moved from "disturbing" to "purely terrifying."

Shaak Ti wished she could say it was all just a bad dream, but the scratches on her ankle said otherwise. She couldn't deny this, not know. This would keep her up at night, she knew. And so, she dropped down, back into her chair, and began mediating again. But this time, instead of seeking flaws in the fabrics of life, space and time, she sought the advice of an old friend. He had already passed into the Force, but his memories were barely older than yesterday. Shaak Ti found his spirit quickly-unlike most souls, he was at peace with himself. He had died for something he had always wanted to die for: the life of a friend. And, he had been avenged. He was free to wander the afterlife, and to skirt the edges of life and death, never really finding his place.

Qui-Gon never really liked to sit still, anyway.

_Ah, Shaak Ti,_ he greeted, as Shaak Ti's spectral form approached him. _The one time I'm sitting still, you catch me! Ah, I'll never live this down. Just don't tell anyone, alright? Anyway, what can I do for you?_

**I need your help, **Shaak Ti said slowly, her sparkling, shimmering form speaking for her. **I was just meditating, and I came across the abyss where all the lost souls go when they die…and, I thought that it was only an illusion, or something separate from the living realm. But look-! It's not! **Shaak Ti lifted the edge of her robe, and showed Qui-Gon the rivulets of blood that ran down her leg. Qui-Gon's brow furrowed in concern, and he leaned over from his sitting position, peering at the scratches as if he couldn't see them clearly. But then again, he probably couldn't. Both of them were merely spectral forms of soul and energy; that was the look everything took on in the spirit realms. Shaak Ti had walked up to Qui-Gon on the edge of a cliff overlooking a river; he was sitting at the edge of the narrow outcropping, cross-legged and staring out over to the horizon. Now, Qui-Gon turned around and stood up, walking past Shaak Ti, back down the steep incline up to the cliff he had been sitting on. _Come, _he said. _This is going to keep you up at night, I can tell. So, I think I can help._

Shaak Ti smiled wryly, and wordlessly followed Qui-Gon. She had always known him to be a man of action, and little word. He also had a knack for knowing what people were thinking. And so, Shaak Ti trusted him, following him to wherever he was leading her. She knew he wouldn't do anything stupid. Well, he might do something stupid, but he would be able to get them out of there. While Qui-Gon preferred a lightsaber over his words, he was actually a very quick talker. Shaak Ti followed Qui-Gon across the gray-scale landscape, looking around at the barren land. It was flat, and rather empty. Nothing but grass, and the occasional tree. In life, Shaak Ti supposed it would have been colorful, and vibrant. Qui-Gon led her to a ravine much like the one she had come across earlier, but this one shone with a radiant light from within. It looked as though the light was dimming, though. Shaak Ti felt her heart leap-the light side was fading, and rather dramatically.

_This, _Qui-Gon said, _is the light side of the Force, as you have guessed. You are the only thing keeping it alive, Shaak Ti. Young Maris will slide down into darkness soon. Her parents will soon become two of those souls who tried to reach you earlier if she does not remain in the light. For if you leave her now, the light side of the Force will completely vanish from Felucia, and the dark side will win over Maris as well. Stay, Shaak Ti. But do not be afraid. Face this terror with confidence. For I am always behind you, ready to catch you if you fall. But, you must now carve your own path. Take things into your own hands, and use this as confidence that the light side is still alive. Do you understand me? You take my meaning?_

Shaak Ti nodded, a sort of tranquility passing over her face. She could see now that she needed to move on. Although this scared her more than ever before, it also told her that the fear was only in her mind. Shaak Ti created her own fear. And it was only Shaak Ti that could move past her fear. Shaak Ti took a step back, understanding now Qui-Gon's words-and his reckless lifestyle. He had only been trying to put fear behind him. Qui-Gon stepped back with her, taking her hand and leading her away from the abyss.

_It is time for you to go now,_ he said. _Go, and take Maris under your wing for real. Shelter her from the dark side, and keep her alive in the light. And Shaak Ti-!_

Shaak Ti turned around, already moving to leave the spirit realms. Qui-Gon had some last, parting words for her? _Do not be afraid to show her the dark side. Show her its evil, and then protect her from it, and teach her to protect herself. Only then, will you truly be able to survive these dark times. Trust your instincts-you will know better than even your brain what to do._

Shaak Ti offered Qui-Gon a soft smile, and then took a step back, her spectral form finally fading out of the spirit realm and crashing back into the real world. As she took a few deep breathes to reunite herself with the waking world, Shaak Ti glanced down at her ankle again. No…she couldn't be afraid. She had to do something, and take action before it was too late in the game. This was her life, and she had to make the most of it. She had been chosen by fate for this role, to fulfill that strong leadership role needed to pull the Jedi through. She had to work past this momentary setback, but once she did, she would emerge stronger than ever!

Stronger, and bleeding all over the kitchen floor.

**A/N: Feed the banthas: review, and fifty percent of your generous donation will go to preserving the wild banthas of Tattooine.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, so, it's been pretty boring in Shaak Ti's life. So, just to keep those of you who are waiting for the action in, I'll be throwing in a little time skip-plus an epic battle! XD Yeah, didn't see that one comin', huh? Well, this is now after Maris's training is all done, about two years later, and Shaak Ti is just telling her she's done. Yays. Now read.**

Shaak Ti ducked low, carefully avoiding Maris's strike as she watched for another one from her physical body. Sure enough, Maris threw a kick at her while she was down, and Shaak Ti was forced to jump back. She stood up straight, brought her lightsaber to guard, and allowed Maris to take the offensive position again. Maris took the lead, flying right back into the battle and attacking Shaak Ti head-on. As she slashed, swerved, dipped, dodged, and stabbed, Shaak Ti could observe Maris's technique. It was beautiful, refined: their many practices had done her well. It had taken two and a half years to get to this point, but it was worth every moment of it. Maris's father had grown on Shaak Ti after a month or two of training, and soon welcomed her in his house as a regular visitor. Shaak Ti found herself quickly becoming part of the Brood family, and fought the attachment it presented. But, as she fought more and more, she just found herself challenging the ideals the former Order held. Was it truly right to deny oneself all attachment? Could that really be the key? No, Shaak Ti concluded. It was simply know when and where to show such attachment, when to feel it. It was a matter of leaving your work at work, and leaving your home at home.

Shaak Ti never taught Maris the traditional Jedi ways.

She instead paved her own path, teaching Maris based on the current principles she and Qui-Gon spent hours in discussion over. Even in the spirit realm, he was his same old self. It never ceased to amaze Shaak Ti how much a person's personality could completely do it for them. Qui-Gon really had a lot going for him…

"Master?"

Shaak Ti snapped back to the present, realizing again her current situation. "Your eyes," Maris said. "You zoned out."

"Good observation, Maris," Shaak Ti said. "But, what else clued you in?"

"Your position and form lost its polish," Maris said automatically. "You began to look away from me, and your lekku were twitching." Shaak Ti disengaged from the fight, glancing down worriedly at her long, flexible lekku.

"They were?" she asked, dismayed. She gently poked one, sparking another twitch. She sighed. "Well, at least you've got that down. I think we're done for today." Maris looked confused. She glanced at Shaak Ti curiously, but deactivated her lightsaber and offered Shaak Ti the customary bow. Shaak Ti returned the gesture, but she still looked distant as she deactivated her blade and clipped it to her belt. Suddenly, she said, "Maris, you clean up. I need to speak with your parents for a few moments."

Maris nodded, and began moving around the basement. It had gradually acquired more furniture as the Broods became more and more trusting of Shaak Ti-and as Maris increased in skill and grew into her long legs. Shaak Ti found that Maris was tripping a lot less-thankfully. How humiliating was it for a Jedi to be trying to impress someone, and end up flat on their face?

"Yes, Master Ti?"

Maris's father met Shaak Ti in the kitchen. As Shaak Ti turned to look at him, she could see that his expression was slightly troubled. "You looked worried, Master Ti," he said gruffly, not used to showing concern for another. "Or, no, not worried…more like distant, I suppose. Elsewhere. Tell me, where have those black eyes travelled this time?"

"Your Crown Molding."

Maris's father gave a chuckle at Shaak Ti's joke. "Really, now, Master," he said, walking out from behind the kitchen counter to stand a bit closer to Shaak Ti. "You clearly weren't concentrating on much today; anything on your mind in particular that's troubling you?"

Shaak Ti shook her head slowly, still staring into space. She was silent for a moment more, and Maris's father still said nothing. He had learned it was better not to push Shaak Ti, or she would only become more distant.

"Maris is ready."

Maris's father's brows came together again. "Pardon?"

"She no longer requires my instruction."

The man looked surprised. "Oh," he said slowly. "Well, uh…I suppose…um…wow, okay, um, is there anything we really need to do…to make this official…?"

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Not anymore," she said softly. "She is now old enough and mentally and physically prepared to meet a Sith in battle. I have sensed them brewing for days-Vader seeks my blood, but he himself will not risk my blade, plus that of my Padawan's. He will send a desperate pawn of considerable power…and I have known this from a friend. He resides in the spirit realm, having died long ago. He told me he would be coming for me tomorrow. And I cannot remain here."

Maris's father was struggling to keep up, but not doing very well. Shaak Ti decided to make it simple for him.

"Tomorrow, I die. And Maris takes my place to hold Felucia in the Light."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti decided not to tell Maris about the day tomorrow signified. She simply told her her training was complete, and gave her a set of Jedi robes. She would fit them now-they used to be Shaak Ti's, and Maris now rivaled her master in height and stature. They even had relatively the same body type. Shaak Ti then went back home-but not to her house. She went to meditate by the Sarlaacs.

Many would call her crazy: Shaak Ti was the only person who dared go near the pits where the Giant Sarlaacs nested. The huge creatures that lay mostly below the surface, with only their gaping maws visible, were terrifying to any normal, sane person. Well, normal, anyway. Shaak Ti wasn't sure if she even qualified as normal at this point. She had come to the conclusion that she had been slowly losing her sanity over the course of these years on Felucia. Having to sleep with one hand on your lightsaber, which you kept under your pillow at night, would do that to a person. Shaak Ti, however, could see herself as insane even before the massacre that had taken place, ending the Clone Wars. The war itself might have done that to her.

Or maybe she was never sane.

It was always a possibility, and it never really bothered Shaak Ti. As long as she wasn't doing anything too humiliating, she could live with herself. Maris's father had once asked her how she slept at night, knowing that she had taken lives, started a war, participated in a war, and done some of the most horrible things he could imagine. Shaak Ti had just shook her head, and murmured, "I can't anymore. Because I know." And she had never said anything more on the matter, and Maris's father had never asked. Maris herself asked Shaak Ti the same question, and Shaak Ti simply replied that she had never taken a life if she had any other alternative, and it was not she who started the war. She refused to speak any more on the subject, and Maris never asked again. Her mother never asked, period.

Shaak Ti now hovered above a Sarlaac's mouth, hands palm up on her knees. Her eyes were close din concentration. The beast below her shifted and groaned, but Shaak Ti barely shuddered at the guttural sound. It mattered not to her what this stationary monster could do. Instead, she focused on the forest around her: every rustle of a leaf, every snap of a carnivorous plant, every stomp of an animal's hoof or paw-Shaak Ti could hear it all, and se it in her mind's eye. She could also hear footsteps-the footsteps of a human, not a deer or other animal. She slowly maneuvered herself back to floating barely an inch over the ground, a few feet away from the Sarlaacs. If she had to fight, she didn't want to be stuck right above a hungry Sarlaac. The only reason she came here was because no one else dared.

Footsteps, and a definite swirl of darkness. Shaak Ti stiffened, and slowly pulled herself out of her hibernation-like state. Something approached, and it was not of the light. Shaak Ti climbed to her feet, eyes opening and lightsaber springing to hand. Shaak Ti did not ignite the blade, though: she didn't' want to give this human a warning. Her montrals and lekku were quickly gathering information: he was hostile, and he was working for Vader. Shaak Ti could sense his thoughts as easily as if she were reading a book. Pathetic, if he could not block his mind from intrusion.

Shaak Ti could see him with her eyes now: a tall, dark-haired man-no, not man; a boy-approaching her. He halted at the edges of the pits, in Makashi opening stance. Shaak Ti sensed that this was the man she had been waiting for-no, the boy, she corrected herself again. She adopted the stance, and then offered a formal salute. The male returned it, and the duel began.

"Jedi Master Shaak Ti," the man began, slowly advancing to her. "My name is Starkiller, and I have been sent by Darth Vader, master of the Sith to destroy you."

But, instead of cowering, Shaak Ti smiled benignly. "Ah, dear young Anakin," she said, almost as if lost. "Such a headstrong, eager young boy-he destroyed himself, you know. That mindless shell of a man is no longer Anakin, nor is he Vader. I don't even think he himself knows who he is. He left himself in Palpatine's office, so many years ago."

At first, Starkiller looked confused. But then, his face twisted into recognition. "You horrorid witch!" he screamed, abruptly charging her. "You dare insult my master!"

Shaak Ti blocked his first strike easily, reaching under their crossed blades and delivering him a vicious punch. Starkiller flew back, landing on the ground a few feet away and looking quite stunned. "He said you were an easy victim," he gasped, pulling himself into a sitting position. "He said you were a weak, spineless coward!"

"Did he?" Shaak Ti purred, her voice uncharacteristically sadistic. "Well, then, I have a message for Vader: he may come and judge my skills by how mangled your body is."

Starkiller suddenly looked only angry again. "Vader says I am as strong as him!" he cried, getting to his feet and rushing her again. Shaak Ti met his attack with several defense-offense moves, and succeeded in burning his shoulder within the first five blows. She was rather disappointed-this was all Vader's star apprentice amounted to?

"Vader's assassin, are you prepared to meet your fate?"

Starkiller's teeth grit as she felt Shaak Ti's blade skim his shoulder. "You are a formidable opponent," he grudgingly admitted. "But, fortunately, I myself am more powerful than you could have ever imagined." The boy took a step back, one hand coming off his saber's hilt. Shaak Ti felt a sudden surge in the dark side of the Force, and immediately raised her own hand to counter. A violent clash ensued as two trees came together between the two, sending wood and splinters everywhere. Shaak Ti made sure to dodge all of hers-Starkiller got several lodged in the arms he threw up to protect his face and chest.

"Amateur."

Shaak Ti was in Starkiller's face in an instant, attacking with such ferocity she surprised herself. She had never really been like this, had she…? Well, not since her prime. Shaak Ti's strikes, though, were elegantly met this time, and either slid off Starkiller's blade or blocked fully. The male even managed to throw a few strikes back into her face, but Shaak Ti's elegant, one-handed fighting style didn't even allow him to get more than a hair's breadth closer than the outer edge of her saber. Her Makashi had years and years of training in it, plus years and years of experience. Starkiller's just didn't compare. Shaak Ti could see the frustration in Starkiller's eyes as she thwarted him effortlessly time, and time again. He could see her grace, her beauty, her skill with a blade-and it bothered him.

He would never attain that. And he drew upon the dark side to compensate.

Shaak Ti could feel his fury, his anger, his frustration, and she could hardly believe one human could possibly contain that much hatred. She began to see pieces of his thoughts, through the Force that flowed between them. Vader, scolding him for failing to kill her once. His first mission as a Sith apprentice. His first discover of the Sith. His first realization that he wanted to be one; _could_ be one. Shaak Ti was seeing piece after piece of the puzzle, and it was slowly coming together.

"Killing me will prove nothing," Shaak Ti inserted, into a lull between exchanges. She was surprised by Starkiller's actual skill: she had not encountered anything like him in years. But it wasn't like she was out of shape, or unpracticed. She had practiced every single day, without fail, for every day she had been on this planet. She couldn't allow herself to slip up. She had been preparing for such a day as this one.

"You will be a true loss to the forces you represent," Shaak Ti continued.

Starkiller attacked her again, and the battle raged on.

**A/N: Well, here ya go! I decided to make it up to you by updating twice in a week or so…since all of you reviewers out there have been so great to me. Review, please!!**


	8. Chapter 8

Maris finished cleaning up in the basement, and ascended the stairs to the main level of her house. She was surprised to find Shaak Ti gone already, but she could feel a distinct glow in the Force around her that told her Shaak Ti was alright-well, maybe not alright, but alive and calm. Maris glanced around, seeing only her father in the kitchen, looking preoccupied and elsewhere. "Father?" she said slowly, approaching him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Maris's father nodded numbly. "Your master," he said slowly. "Do you know what she says will happen today? You can't know…you don't look troubled, and you're not frantically trying to find her. Maris, what did she say to you about later today?"

Maris's brow furrowed. "Nothing," she said. "I figured she would still be here, talking to you. She just told me to clean up, and that she had to talk to you."

"There's good news and bad news," Maris's father said grimly. "And the bad news far outweighs the good."

"Then let me hear the good news first," Maris said quickly.

Her father sighed. "Shaak Ti said that you no longer required her instruction. She said you were competent enough to become a Knight, and that you could simply carry on her work from here on out. Take a Padawan and keep the light side alive, I think she said."

"And…the bad news…?" Maris was almost afraid to ask, but she knew that it could very well mean Shaak Ti's life. If it was bad enough that the Jedi master didn't even mention it to Maris, she might have seen something within the Force that would forever change the future…

"Shaak Ti claims she was meant to die tomorrow."

Maris's heart stopped in her chest.

A sudden gasp a moment later restarted her heart, which promptly began to race at the speed of light. "She…was…meant to die…?" Maris finally managed to choke out. Her father nodded gravely.

"When she left, she said it…but, I have the sinking feeling, Maris, that no mortal can sway the hand of fate. Whatever takes your master's life is nothing a mortal can control. That woman is almost immortal as it is-if not for age, she would never die. She would enter battle every day, and duel with the finest warriors…and defeat them all." Maris's father held one arm across his stomach, the elbow of his other resting on the hand and pressing its fingers to his bowed head. "Maris…I'm so sorry."

Maris couldn't fight the sudden shock of emotions threatening to overpower her. How could Shaak Ti die?! It just wasn't physically possible! Maris had seen Shaak Ti in action before-her natural grace, beauty, prowess, power, finesse, elegance…oh, Maris could go on and on, but the bottom line was, Shaak Ti had always been sort of...indestructible in her eyes, really. Maybe a bit of an idol. It had never occurred to Maris that there was a force in this world that could bring Shaak Ti to her knees. But now, that sudden reality check brought Maris crumbling down, as if struck by a huge rancor and simply bowled over and then gored straight through on one of its horns. It was despicable, really, to think that any one being was so immortal as Shaak Ti, but Maris couldn't help it. She still hung onto hope-hope that maybe, just maybe, there was still light out there.

But Shaak Ti had said she was strong enough to face a Sith in battle…

Maybe Shaak Ti wasn't strong enough on her own. But what about a Knight and a master together?

Maris grabbed her lightsaber and her new robes, and charged into her bedroom to change. As she pounded up the stairs, she could hear her father calling up after her, "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

Maris paused, trying to find the right words to describe what she was doing-without making it sound like what she really _was _doing. She was really foolishly risking her own neck in a vain attempt to save her master from a death neither of them could deny or control, defying fate and logic and reason and faith all at the same time-!

"I'm fighting for Felucia…and for the Light."

OOOOOOOOOO

Shaak Ti slowly circled Starkiller, lightsaber held over her head in both hands, poised to strike. Her Jedi robes were stained with the light singes of Starkiller's blade-the close calls she had endured. But still, her skin remained untouched, whereas Starkiller's own skin wore the many scars of Shaak Ti's blade. Her blue lightsaber had found its mark more then Starkiller's, and had done much more damage where it had. Shaak Ti and Starkiller both were feeling the battle, though: their intense battle for victory in this war of light and dark had left them both breathing hard, hearts beating fast, sweat tracing down their bodies and creating a slick sheen over their skin. Shaak Ti's orange skin glistened in the half-light, filtered in from the dense forests above. Starkiller's human skin, peach in color, shined with an unhealthy reflection of the light, indicating his own exertion. Shaak Ti's heavy chest labored with her breaths-Starkiller's neck's veins raced with his pulse. Still, the two circled, poised to strike.

Until Starkiller moved.

Shaak Ti swung her blade down in guard, blocking Starkiller's strike and forcing him back again by mere force. Still, Shaak Ti knew she couldn't drag this out. She wouldn't last much longer. And so, she took the offensive. The Togruta leapt at Starkiller, Makashi blade flashing and slicing and striking and stabbing-Starkiller could barely keep up before. Now, he was losing ground against the Jedi master, and fast. He had no choice but to completely evade her blows of slant them off to the side, either of which brought a new burn to his arms, torso, or upper legs. Shaak Ti fought to increase her speed, drawing heavily on the Force to compensate for her physical weakness. She could feel Starkiller doing the same, and drew even more.

Starkiller Force-pushed her off balance.

Shaak Ti fell back into the Sarlaac's mouth, crying out with surprise as she flew back. Still, Shaak Ti had a split second to make a decision before she fell down the Sarlaac's throat. She dug her lightsaber deep into its mouth, burying the blade in to the hilt and clutching at it with both hands. She clenched her eyes shut, drawing even more from the Force just to hold on-

Her plan worked! The blade held her weight, although the Sarlaac was no happy about it. The giant beast roared in agony at the fell of the blade's cut, and its tongues began lashing about Shaak Ti, seeking the Togruta's body to pry the saber from its maw. Shaak Ti pulled one last time, and sprung up and over the Sarlaac's tongues as they reached-and then planting her feet on them. She took her lightsaber with her as the Sarlaac's tongue thrashed around, and she leapt from tendril to tendril, seeking a foothold. Starkiller followed her, landing across from her on one of the tentacles.

And the duel commenced.

Back and forth, up and down, from tendril to tendril, the pair fought, complementary halves of one warrior. They were perfectly matched: his luck to her skill, the Sarlaac to Shaak Ti and Starkiller to the Sarlaac. It seemed neither one could get an edge, and both were getting desperate. As of now, two hours later, Starkiller bore a deep incision to both his upper left arm and right thigh. Shaak Ti bore minor burns, and several scares. Both carried the heavy burden of exhaustion, and the Sarlaac was dealing with the aftereffects of Shaak Ti's and Starkiller's battle. Starkiller's rage had amputated the tips of the Sarlaac's tongue; Shaak Ti's powerful strikes, ended in fruitlessness, had actually skewered several tentacles, and then ripped them off. The Sarlaac had given up on thrashing; now, it simply waited, writhing a bit and howling whenever it was injured.

Starkiller missed an uppercut at Shaak Ti's montrals; Shaak Ti blocked and followed through with a power thrust at Starkiller's gut. Starkiller sidestepped the blow, delivering a strong-but blind-reverse lung. Shaak Ti allowed the blade to pass closely, but not nearly close enough to even feel the heat. Then, she grabbed Starkiller's arm and pulled him close, using his grip on the lightsaber to her advantage. Her own blade thrust forward-she had to make it this time, there was no way he could block-!

A surge in the dark side warned her.

Shaak Ti's blade halted, lightning sparkling at Starkiller's fingertips. He had drawn so much from the dark side…that he had forcibly awakened the lightning. Shaak Ti's eyes widened, seeing the new danger of this. She thrust at Starkiller's gut harder, but he bore down harder with his lightning. Shaak Ti's teeth ground together in effort, as she drew more on the light side then ever before. Starkiller, too, drew from his Force powers, attacking Shaak Ti with more ferocity than ever. Someone had to give, and it would be the weaker one. For to cave now was to mean death. Shaak Ti would die in the belly of the beast-Starkiller would fall upon Shaak Ti's blade, which she had begun working up towards his heart. Starkiller became desperate-he yanked at his hand, captive in Shaak Ti's iron grip. He could draw no more from the dark side, or he would simply vaporize and join it. Shaak Ti could draw further still, but she risked something great with the aftershock of the sudden release. But still, she bore down harder still, knowing that she was prepared for defeat, and he was not. Starkiller's will began to feather and bend, arching towards the hairline fractures that would eventually splinter and send dark matter spraying everywhere-

Starkiller's control ruptured.

Shaak Ti's blow impaled his heart, but his lighting also hit her body. Shaak Ti could feel the cold shock of the electricity, soaring through her veins, begging her to succumb-and it would all end. If she would cross over, it would all be over-but still, despite the searing pain, Shaak Ti refused. _I would rather die than join you! _she mentally screamed. _I would rather die! I'd sooner die! I'd rather throw myself into this Sarlaac! I'd rather lick the inside of an intergalactic public transport-! I'll never do it! I won't join you! I can't join you, I won't join you, I refuse, I refuse, I REFUSE!!_

And then, it was all over.

Shaak Ti lay on the ground, a few feet away from the Sarlaac. Starkiller lay on the opposite side of the Sarlaac, Shaak Ti's lightsaber buried in his chest. He was fighting death, she could tell: his eyes were only half-glazed over, and blood was still spurting from his chest. He was struggling to pull the blade out, but he didn't have the strength. And so, with his last breaths, he cursed Shaak Ti:

"You damned Jedi!" he gasped. "I'll kill you…! Master Vader will! He'll avenge me! He swore I was his favorite, and he wouldn't let me die! He'll avenge me! A curse to you! A curse to you and all your kind! Disloyal, uncaring, cold-hearted murderers! Warmongers, villains of the Empire! Let the name of the Sith forever strike fear into your hearts! And a special curse to the damn Togruta who took my life!"

"You stupid boy," Shaak Ti panted, propping herself up on her elbow, still on her side. "The Sith always betray each other. That's why you're dying here now. If Vader truly loved you as you say, as a son, than would not he have come with you? To ensure my death? Because I could not take on both of you at once-even a being of my caliber cannot do it. I could hold my own for a good portion of time, but not survive. Both of you are of equal skill, and barely deferring to me in such. Together, you would have me outclassed by fifty percent. But no. Vader didn't want to risk his own neck. And so, he tricked you into coming here, underestimating me and overestimating you. My apologies, Starkiller-you die here." Shaak Ti moved to stand, but stopped at a sudden pain in her stomach.

There was a round hole in her abdomen, punched through by the red lightsaber lying a few feet away from her.

Shaak Ti gasped at the pain and fell back to her knees, collapsing on her back and taking long, slow breaths. She couldn't do this, she thought. She wasn't going to live. But, at least she had taken Starkiller down with her. Maris was approaching-she could feel her in the Force as she reached to ensure Starkiller's death. She crushed his throat so easily it might have been paper in her hands. And, as Starkiller finally fell into the Sarlaac, Shaak Ti finally fell unconscious.

**A/N: Is she dead or not? Hint: there's another chapter. : ) Review please!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Maris felt such a shift in the Force, she almost fell over.

Crying out at the sudden pain, she could feel crashing waves of emotion. Hurt, betrayal, anger, aggression, terror, confusion-but all were rapidly fading away. Maris's heart picked up, and she felt her stomach drop into her feet. Shaak Ti! It had to be her, nothing else was strong enough! But still, there was a faint, pulsating light that Maris could see with her mind's eye: was it her, or Shaak Ti, or someone else…? Well, there was only one way to find out. Maris took off into the forests, heading for the place she knew Shaak Ti liked to go: the Mega Sarlaac pit.

Shaak Ti was stark crazy, Maris swore. Every time she went to that Sarlaac pit and came back alive, Maris ticked off another life. So far, Shaak Ti had expended almost forty lives of hers. Cats had nine lives? Togrutas must have nine hundred. That was the only reason Maris could think of for Shaak Ti's survival. She was the only one ever known to have survived an encounter with a Sarlaac, let alone this one. It was particularly ornery, and it tendrils and tentacles could stretch farther than most Sarlaacs could. Shaak Ti had never struck Maris as crazy, but every time she went to meditate by the Sarlaac, Maris questioned the woman's sanity.

Now, she was questioning her own.

Maris darted through the trees, heart pounding, breath labored, sweat pouring down her body. But she wasn't out of breath or sweating because she had exerted herself; no, it was worry that brought her to such a state, and worry that dominated her still. She knew now was one of those times that Shaak Ti had told her to keep her emotions out of the way, but she couldn't quite cover up the fear that wormed its way into her thoughts. Fear…one of the worst emotions one could fear. Shaak Ti had recited to her a quote from the ancient Master Yoda: "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark side." Maris had never felt that saying more true, as she felt the reaching, writhing masses of the dark side reach up to grab at whatever fear they could and drag it forth. No! Maris tried to remain strong. She had to resist this temptation! She couldn't have come so far, only to terminate Shaak Ti's legacy. If the Togruta master died-Force forbid-then Maris would have to be the one to keep the light side alive. Without the knowledge of other survivors, the Jedi were a very fragile thing. Maris shoved this fear to the back of her mind, willing herself not to think about it.

And, for a while, she was doing well. She was able to focus on the plant life and animal life around her, and searching for other Force-sensitives. She found two right next to each other, and instinctively knew who they were. She refused to think about it, though, lest her fear overpower her. But, as she was finally drawing closer, one of the presences in her mind's eyes fluttered, and then winked out.

Maris felt like screaming with the torment her own mind was wreaking upon her. She didn't know who, or what, had just died. _Please, don't le tit be her, please don't let it be her-!_

Maris burst into the clearing around the Sarlaac pits, casting about for the Togruta Jedi.

She saw her lying across the pits, on the ground, not moving. Right in front of Maris was a lightsaber itself, having fallen out of whatever hand that held it and was now lying a few feet away. The blade was still activated, humming ominously and smelling strongly of burnt blood. Maris's heart resumed pounding, now doubled in speed. Her own heartbeat echoed in her ears, and Maris struggled to contain her fear. She knew she had to get this over with now, or the fear would only continue to build. She picked up Shaak Ti's lightsaber, and took a deep breath, swallowed the lump in her throat, and slowly began the approach to the fallen Togruta. She worked her way around the Sarlaac, trying not to let it know she was there. The beast shuddered and groaned, however, at her passing, and its tentacles climbed to the surface to investigate. Maris saw that several of them had been ripped off, or burned off-burned by a lightsaber. They had taken the battle to the Sarlaac itself, Maris realized, and continued past it. But the Sarlaac wasn't about to be denied a meal. The longest of its remaining tentacles-the only whole one-reached over, probing around where Shaak Ti lay, mere feet from its gaping, tooth-lined maw. Maris gasped as the tentacle found her master, and coiled around her slim waist.

"No!" she shrieked, thundering over to the Sarlaac. If Shaak Ti wasn't dead already, Maris couldn't' risk it. Hell, she couldn't risk it, anyway! Not know would drive her crazy! Maris sprinted for the Sarlaac's now-rapidly-receding tentacle, raising Shaak Ti's still-active lightsaber over her head and bringing it down in a stunning slash. The Sarlaac hissed and shrieked in agony as its last tentacle was severed, and it receded back to its own mouth, grumbling about the new loss. Maris hurriedly ran over to Shaak Ti, deactivating the lightsaber along the way. She clipped it to her own belt, right where Shaak Ti had worn hers. Maris crouched down next to Shaak Ti, hurriedly checking for life signs. She pressed two of her fingers to Shaak Ti's neck, searching for a pulse. At first, she felt nothing. Terror, horror, loss, and fear suddenly swept through Maris, no matter how hard she tried to contain herself. She moved her fingers, still searching desperately for any sign of life. Just because she couldn't feel the pulse in one place didn't mean it wasn't there! She just wasn't looking in the right places…! Right…? Doubt took over Maris's being, and she hurriedly searching again. She kept her fingers still for a moment, trying to calm the humming in her fingertips. Anxiety wouldn't help.

Shaak Ti's heartbeat flowed under her fingers, miraculously still strong and regular. Maris breathed a sigh of relief, feeling nothing but happiness and joy rush over her. Thank the Force, she was okay! She must have hit her head when she had fallen-from the looks like it, the Sarlaac had thrown her. Maris hurriedly ripped the dead tentacle from Shaak Ti's torso, checking for breathing. Shaak Ti's breathing, like her heart, was strong and steady, and Maris was grateful to whatever controlled the universe for sparing her master. But still, Shaak Ti didn't look good-she might not have been in any immediate danger, but she still needed medical attention. She looked like she had been hit by lightning-her body was humming with electricity, and her skin was pale. Maris had learned about Sith lightning in her studies with Shaak Ti, and this looked like it. The body was slightly burned in places, and it appeared as if Shaak Ti's body was going into shock. Without her eyes open, it was hard to tell, but Maris could tell from the Force alone that Shaak Ti's health wouldn't last much longer. Maris had watched Shaak Ti heal before-herself, and others. But she had never actually healed herself. But, something told her that Force healing was Shaak Ti's only hope.

Maris carefully turned Shaak Ti's body over so she was lying on her back. Maris quickly scanned her body for wounds-at first, all she could see where minor scraps, burns, and bruises. But then, Maris's eyes fell upon a circular hole in Shaak Ti's abdomen-burned at the edges, and barely bleeding. A lightsaber wound. And, sure enough, there was another lightsaber, lying a few feet away, still activated and humming with an eerie glow. It was a red blade, and Maris suspected that it had been soiled with the blood of many, many creatures. She paid the red lightsaber no more mind after that-she needed to concentrate on Shaak Ti right now. Maris dropped to her knees from her crouched position, setting her hands nervously over the wound. Shaak Ti's metabolism was unnaturally slow-she must be healing herself, Maris realized. Well, it never hurt to speed that up. Maris had learned about Force-healing with Shaak Ti, as well-one directed the Force to create new cells, using its legendary power to literally create life. Maris began weaving the Force as best she could, deep in the knowledge that Shaak Ti's life depended on her ability to do so.

Maris worked for what she could swear was a matter of hours. She worked tirelessly at Shaak Ti's stomach wound, losing all track of time and all semblance of reality. She fell deep into a trance, her only though to copy over genetic material and work her way in from the edges to fill the void in Shaak Ti's orange flesh. Sweat streaked her body, but this was from exertion. Channeling the Force in such a way, and for an extended period of time, left Maris losing energy, and losing it quickly. She mended the wound as best she could, paying special attention to internal organs and muscles alike. She made sure that the consistencies of the flesh, organs, muscles, fat, and skin were all the same, and that each flowed smoothly into the other. She checked that none of the cells were cancerous, or malformed in any way. She whizzed along miles of DNA strands, sorting each and fixing errors. She was horrified to find that she had made many such errors when forming the new cells, and was now glad she had gone back and checked. She finally tucked the last piece of DNA into a cell, and slowly began removing herself from Shaak Ti's body.

"Maris, stop! Maris…Maris, can you hear me? Maris, stop, you'll lose yourself! Don't, stop, I'm fine now…_Maris!"_

Maris "awoke" with a jolt.

She found herself lying on her back on the ground, breathing hard and staring up at a cloudless blue sky. Shaak Ti was kneeling next to her, one had on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I had to push you," she was saying, as soon as Maris was awake, "but I didn't want you to completely lose yourself. Child, you were so deep in the Force, I thought you were gone for sure. What could you possibly have been doing in my intestines that was of such importance?!"

"Repairing a mistake I made in your DNA sequencing," Maris muttered, slowly sitting up. Shaak Ti looked surprised.

"Your first time healing, and you went down to a cellular level?!" she gasped. Shaak Ti was appalled. "No one has ever dared to go down to a cellular level in Force healing without at least five years of experience! And you went back and checked your work, you said? Stars help us all! You could have completely lost yourself, diving in that deep. Or worse, you could have joined our consciences! That was incredibly risky, didn't I tell you that?"

"No."

Maris's answer was so simple, and so unexpected, that Shaak Ti was slightly taken aback. Nevertheless, she picked up exactly where she had left off: "That was stupid, it was reckless, it was crazy, it was dangerous, and it was ridiculous-!" Shaak Ti paused, cutting herself off. "And for that, I owe you my life…"

Maris gazed up at the Togruta Jedi, now a bit confused. Shaak Ti's rapid change of heart was slightly intriguing to Maris, and a bit of worry still remained. "You knocked your head pretty hard, huh?" she said dryly. "Well, you're welcome, if that's what you're going for here-"

"I was wondering why I had a headache," Shaak Ti said slowly. "Well, no matter. Maris, I am eternally grateful to you for saving me. I know how hard it must have been for you. And I'm sorry I sort of blew up like that…I was just very worried that harm might come to you, after you tried to so hard to save me. I didn't want that to happen." Shaak Ti shook her head, and then sat back on her heels. "Alright, well, I'm fine, you're fine, and so I guess all's well that ends well." She slowly pushed herself to her feet, being very careful about moving her stomach. But, when she tried to muscle and the repair work Maris had done, it was as if she had never been wounded to begin with. "Come on," she said, offering her hands to Maris. "Your family must be immensely worried."

Maris nodded slowly and took Shaak Ti's hands, pulling herself up with the help of the Jedi Master. The shock of what she had done was starting to set in, thanks to Shaak Ti's words of warning. But still, Maris couldn't shake the feeling that maybe this was one thing she wouldn't listen to Shaak Ti on. Well, no, she would listen, she decided. But, if ever a time came when someone she loved was in danger, she wouldn't think twice about the consequences. That, she decided was the best way to go. And Shaak Ti would probably agree. She could; she could not. It was fine with Maris. As they walked past it, Maris picked up the Sith lightsaber that had been used to wound Shaak Ti. She slowly deactivated the blade, staring at the saber. It was beautiful, it really was. A fine work of craftsmanship, made for an excellent swordsman-

Maris dropped it into the Sarlaac beside them.

"A work of such beauty, so misused, is doomed never be used again."

**A/N: Well, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long with such a cliffy. I was thinking about making this only one more chapter, but then I realized that I promised you guys Shaak Ti would see Vader again. So, that will happen sometime soon, next chapter or not. Here's this chapter, enjoy it, and wait for the next one. : ) Hopefully, that one will come out quicker…O.O**


	10. Chapter 10

Shaak Ti sat at the kitchen table, studying her stomach.

Maris sat across from her, one eyebrow raised, head in the one hand that was propped up on the table. The other pale arm was laid out in front of her, bent at the elbow so her hand was right in front of her other elbow. Maris was staring blankly at Shaak Ti, as if unsure she should speak up. The Togruta had moved her robes aside, the lightsaber having sliced quite a bit of them open anyway, and was peering at the skin of her stomach through the largest of the holes; the one where she had accidently gotten herself stabbed.

"Ya know, I checked and re-checked everything. It won't scar, or anything. I bit off the scar tissue right away."

"I know," Shaak Ti said, almost ruefully. "And that's what scares me." The statement wasn't meant to be taken literally; Shaak Ti was simply expressing surprise at the quality of the healing. Maris simply smiled, and allowed a placated look to pass over her face.

"I can guarantee that no cancer will ever develop down there. But, since that's taken care of, how about moving on? It looks like your stomach is squishy enough, so what else do we have to talk about?"

Shaak Ti shook her head. "Those are my intestines; they're supposed to be squishy. I have muscles down there, but intestines kind of overrule muscle…"

"But muscle is closer to the surface."

"Are we seriously arguing over this?"

"Yes."

Shaak Ti smiled, and sat up a bit. She smoothed her robes back into place-or as close to it as she could get them to go-and leaned forward onto the table, mirroring Maris's movements to a degree. "So, your parents. Where are they, and how are we going to break this to them?"

Maris shrugged. "To be honest, I was just going to wait until they found us and just kind of roll from there. See, I figured if I just kind of winged it by the seat of my pants, a plan would just hit me, bam!"

"And how is that working out for you?" Shaak Ti asked dryly, crossing her arms on the table and resting her chin on the flesh where the two crossed. Maris shrugged.

"So far, so good. They haven't found us yet, so I can't get chewed out."

"_Maris Brood!"_

Shaak Ti glanced around, smiling. "You spoke too soon," she said wryly, not bothering to lift her head from her arms, nor her arms from the table. Just then, both of Maris's parents came storming in the kitchen door, both red-faced and furious. But Maris's mother looked more concerned, whereas her father just looked ready to explode. He started ranting almost immediately.

"Maris, I cannot believe you would pull such a stunt! I realize that Master Ti is important to you, but you have to let her go if she knows it's the will of the Force-!"

Shaak Ti sat up at this point, the hint of an impish grin tracing her lips once again. She raised one hand in greeting, waiting for someone to notice her. Maris's mother noticed her first, and glanced at her husband.

"Um…dear…"

"…oh…"

"Nice to see you, too," Shaak Ti laughed, standing up. "It looks worse than it really is," she reassured, seeing Maris's mother's concerned looks only worsen. "Your Maris healed the wounds just wonderfully."

"And…you were able to survive…?"

"Simply because of her, yes," Shaak Ti clarified, nodding. "If the Force wills it, a mortal is powerless to stop it. We only bring our destinies to pass by trying to avoid them. I figured, if I faced down my fears, I could avoid my destiny for real. Had I tried to stay away from the Sarlaac pits forever, then I would have died, I am certain."

Maris's parents fell silent for a moment. It seemed everyone was at a loss for words, and the situation was quickly becoming awkward. Shaak Ti gently bit down on her lower lip, recognizing the situation and trying to think of a way out of it. And while she was thinking, she might as well clean herself up…actually, that was it. Bingo! Idea has struck.

"Um…I'm going to go change," Shaak Ti said quickly. "If you need me, I'll be back in about half an hour." And she split from the kitchen as quickly as possible. She was going home, and showering, and changing. Nothing was going to stop her from getting clean within the next half an hour, and no was just a convenient way to get out of doing something.

"Um, I'll come with you," Maris said. "I left my, uh…I left my comlink at your place, and I want to get it back. Okay, let's go!" Maris sprang to her feet and bolted for Shaak Ti, but as soon as she was on her feet, her parents were opening their mouths.

"Oh, not so fast young ladies!" Maris's father said sternly. "Maris, you're grounded. Reckless and foolish doesn't even come close to that stunt you pulled. Master Ti, we really can't do anything to you, but I will say this: going and trying to get yourself killed on purpose was a madly genius act. Mostly mad, but so crazy it might work."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Shaak Ti said slowly, unsure as to Maris's father's meaning. "So, thank you?"

Maris's father shook his head. "Much as I would like to ground you both, I can only ground Maris. So, starting now, Maris, you don't leave this house unless it's a life-or-death situation. No Holonet, no comlink, for a month."

"Aw, man!"

"Sir, please, don't punish her," Shaak Ti said, stepping up to Maris's side. "She had to make a very swift decision under a lot of pressure, and while yes, it was a bit thoughtless, there really was no time for thought. Please understand that it was a life-or-death situation, and I very easily could have died. It's not her fault; if anyone is at fault, it should be me, for putting her in such a situation without notice or indication of what she was supposed to do. I just figured it would be easier if it was a clean break."

Maris's mother sighed. "Well, I know Maris thinks of you as something of a second mother. And, as some advice from mother to mother figure, I would say that always keeping your child informed is the best practice. Not knowing would kill her more, because she would never be able to move on."

"Ah, wise words," Shaak Ti said softly. She would concede defeat on this battle-Maris's mother spoke like a woman who knew life's troubles and trials, and wanted nothing more than to save others from that suffering. "You speak like a Jedi master."

"Oh, you flatter me," Maris's mother said, waving off the comment. "Thank you, but I could never even compare to your knowledge and wisdom. Surely, you have more to learn still, but myself, even more so."

Shaak Ti smiled softly, offering a small bow. "Well, I really need to change my clothes. Honestly, I feel like gutter trash. I will return shortly, as will Maris, with her comlink. Coming, Maris?"

Maris leapt to her feet, darting to Shaak Ti's side. "Back in a half hour. See ya!"

Shaak Ti and Maris were out the door before either of Maris's parents had even realized that they had been tricked out of lifting Maris's grounding.

OOOOOOOOO

"Hey, thanks for the save."

Maris was sitting in front of Shaak Ti's bedroom mirror, the only other one in the house. Shaak Ti had one bathroom, and a mirror in there, and a small vanity in her room with a mirror above that. Maris now sat on the stool in front of the vanity, brushing her tangled hair and talking to Shaak Ti. The Jedi master was picking through her closet, looking for something comfortable.

"No problem at all," Shaak Ti said pleasantly, pulling a robe out of the closet and dropping it on her bed. "Alright, I'm changing. Just don't turn around, and keep your eyes firmly locked on yourself." Shaak Ti lifted the burned, charred, cut, and bloody remains of her Jedi robes off her body, up and over her head. She dropped these on the bed next to the clean robes, which she picked up immediately and pulled over her head. She had chosen one of her simpler robes, which was a brown form-fitting top, a loose brown skirt, and an overskirt of light brown. Shaak Ti fastened her utility belt over the robes, clipping her lightsaber and several other things to it. The elder Jedi then pulled on her outer robe, which hid everything on her person beneath a guise of deep, rich brown.

Maris, on the other hand, kept her yellow eyes locked firmly on her own face in the mirror, still brushing out her hair. She had ever braided it that morning, due to the unusual stressful situation. She usually got up, trained with Shaak Ti, and then cleaned up. Maris didn't braid her hair until after training; she usually had it in a ponytail. Her hair was in a series of braids all about a half an inch thick and all hung loosely around her face. She pulled the ends together, then, and wrapped several of the braids around her neck to form something of a necklace. Her red horns had come in, now, though, and they protruded from the top of her head, through her hair, in a frightening display. It didn't seem to bother Shaak Ti, though: the Jedi had never said anything about them, nor had she expressed discomfort. And so, Maris had never given it a second thought. Now, though, having a chance to examine the horns, she found herself fighting with her hair for a new direction around them.

"I promise, you can't move them."

Maris smiled, glancing up at Shaak Ti. The Togruta had come to stand next to Maris's shoulder, and was peeking at the hair Maris was attempting to tame. "Just leave it," the Togruta encouraged. "It really doesn't look bad at all. In fact, I think it looks nice. Nice enough to make me wish I had hair."

"It's nice most of the time, but it can be a pain sometimes," Maris offered, finally picking up a piece of hair and gathering it into the first of several braids. Shaak Ti wordlessly moved around to her other side, braiding that hair as well. Maris looked slightly surprised, but didn't say anything as to the gesture. She continued braiding her hair in small chunks, tying off each section with a small rubber band. Occasionally, Shaak Ti would steal one from the pile to tie off a braid, but, other than that, the two didn't interact. Maris thought it was nice, though: to just have some peace and quiet. Her entire head had felt like it was filled with sand for the past few hours. And not just normal sand-cold, hard, wet sand, all squished in there and plugging everything up. Now, it was like someone had just scooped all that sand out, and Maris felt like she could think straight again.

The braiding was done twice as fast, thanks for Shaak Ti's efforts, and Maris's hair was taken care of sooner than anticipated originally. Maris finally wound the last pieces of hair around her neck, letting these hang loosely behind her shoulders. Shaak Ti straightened the last few details, and then gave a huff of relief.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I've ended sieges quicker than that!"

Maris smiled. "My apologies, then," she said, standing up from the stool in front of the mirror. "So, what now?'

Shaak Ti glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "Well, your parents have probably cooled off now, so let's head back and just kind of hope they don't really notice we tricked them."

Maris smiled. "Yeah, right. My parents, right?"

Shaak Ti smiled. "Ah, you've got me. What could possibly go wrong?"

**A/N: Awkward ending, but whatever. I'm writing this during midterms, and on little sleep. So be happy it's here!!**


	11. Chapter 11

"And just what took you two so long?"

Shaak Ti could immediately see why many people she had come across had made jokes about growing up with their parents, and how much hell they got from them. Shaak Ti had considered herself have grown up with parents: after all, how many Jedi in the Order were her senior? Well, now, none, because, as far as she knew, she was the only one left. But before, very few. Only maybe Yoda and Mace. Maybe Obi-Wan or Kit Fisto on a good day. Anakin could best her in mischief and luck. Agen Kolar, perhaps, but again, only on a good day for him and a bad day for her. Shaak Ti shook off the thoughts of those long gone, trying not to mourn. She knew that their deaths had brought them into the Force, and she should be happy that they had achieved their purpose in life, and rejoined the Force. But that nagging guilt still weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she couldn't brush it off.

"Mom, hair?" Maris said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Be respectful," Shaak Ti said scoldingly. She was trying to regain favor with Maris's mother, who had grouchily met them at the door. It seemed to be working, because Maris's mother gave a small nod of thanks in Shaak Ti's direction, and then dragged a whining Maris back into the house, expressing her anger at sneaking out. Maris promptly fingered Shaak Ti, who pasted the most appalled expression she could muster onto her face.

"Don't point fingers at me," she said, sounding shocked. "You're the one grounded."

"But you should be grounded," Maris mumbled, "even if you're not. I mean, you did much worse than me!"

"But I'm a Master, so I'm allowed to be stupid and reckless."

"Huh," Maris's mother huffed, "I don't think so. Master Ti, with all due respect, that probably wasn't the smartest choice you could have made in that situation."

"And with all equally due respect," Shaak Ti replied evenly, "I am Force-sensitive; you are not. Therefore, our opinions differ greatly on what is responsible and what is not. But the fact of the matter is, I survived, Maris was never injured to begin with, I have exterminated a great threat to life everywhere, and I have struck a crippling blow against the Empire. Without his pet, Vader might back off a bit. If it's one thing I know about Vader, it's that he doesn't like to do his own grunt work."

"But let's not forget the Sarlaac!" Maris called out from behind her mother.

"Don't help," Shaak Ti hissed, sending Maris a nasty glare-and a hint of what her sharp, pointed teeth really looked like. Maris gave a yelp of surprise at the slavering fangs, and then turned tail and ran. Her mother sighed, threw up her hands in the air, and turned to recall her daughter. But Maris had cheated: Shaak Ti had felt the surge in the Force as Maris took off. Her speed seemed to puzzle her mother, who glanced at Shaak Ti and wordlessly jerked a thumb at the stairs Maris had thundered up to avoid her mother's tirade.

Shaak Ti shrugged. "If you want to suppress the Force, good luck. The only things that can do that are illegal drugs, and I have no idea where to get them."

"You are lying through your teeth."

"Yes, I am."

Maris's mother sighed, and placed her hand son her hips. "Well, we may as well not have this discussion on the front porch," she said resignedly. "Why don't you come in, and we'll figure this out in a minute?"

"Thanks. I really don't need illegal drug trade on my bounty card," Shaak Ti quipped, stepping inside the house. The door closed behind her, and Maris led her into the kitchen.

"Allow me to retrieve the beast," she said, and left the room for a minute. "Maris!" she screamed, and Shaak Ti could hear the sudden thunder of Maris's mother stomping up the stairs. She was not a particularly stout woman, but one could tell she had born children. "Maris Brood, you have until I get to five…! One…two…three…!!"

Shaak Ti sighed, but a small chuckle escaped her throat all the same. The Togruta Jedi sat down at the table, in the chair that had practically become hers. Maris, her mother, and her father usually took certain chairs when they sat down at the table: it was just a matter of personal preference. And since there were four chairs at the table and only three family members, Maris had designated the fourth chair as belonging to Shaak Ti. She considered the woman something of a sister at this point, and often voiced it.

Like now.

"Help! Shaak Ti, she's after me! Come on, you're my sister! Help me out!!"

"I'm not entirely sure I want to go up against your mother," Shaak Ti said dryly, barely glancing up to observe the scene around her. It was circling her, anyway. "She might not be Force-sensitive, but I wouldn't tangle with that woman given the chance."

"No! Help!!"

Maris and her mother were both currently running laps around the table and thus, Shaak Ti, as well. The pounding of footsteps followed by a large _thud! _had heralded Maris's coming down the stairs, and then jumping the last three steps. A heavier thundering had indicated Maris's mother, not far behind her daughter but losing ground because of the stairs, screaming all the way like a woman possessed. Maris had fled to the kitchen, seeking assistance from the Jedi. Maris had barely paused to appeal to Shaak Ti, but then she was forced to run again when her mother came after her. And now, the two were running furious laps around the table, each seeking Shaak Ti's assistance. The woman's sharp tongue and sharper sword would guarantee a victory for which ever party held her favor.

"Everybody stop!"

The entire world seemed to freeze at Shaak Ti's voice.

"You're both being a bit thick-headed," Shaak Ti said bluntly, standing up and moving to stand between mother and daughter. "Maris, you fool, listen to your mother. Mrs. Brood, where do you think running laps is going to get you?"

"In shape," Maris muttered under her breath. Shaak Ti cast her a nasty glare.

"Don't help," she said again, "and you might gain yourself a small bit of salvation."

Maris, understandably, shut her mouth.

"Good. Now that I have your attention, let's finish this up in a semi-civilized way, no?"

Maris and her mother each took their respectful seats, with Maris's mother at one of the heads of the table, Maris to her right, and Shaak Ti to her right. "Now, Maris, stop running from it. The more you run around in crazy circles, the crankier we both get. And Mrs. Brood, chasing encourages running. One learns that on Shili very quickly. One also learns that running encourages chasing. So, both of you are equally at fault. Now, what you both need to do is-"

A small, but insistent beeping came from Shaak Ti's belt.

"Oh, come on," she muttered, fishing out her comlink. "I told them it was only for emergencies-" Shaak Ti cut herself off, pulling her comlink from the pouch at her hip and clicking it on. "Shaak Ti."

A harsh, rasping voice issued from the com. "Jedi Master Shaak Ti," the voice drawled. It was clearly male, but Shaak Ti didn't recognize it. However, the deep, methodical breathing that came through as static on the com spoke the entire story.

"Who is this?" she demanded, feeling her heart leap into her throat. _Please don't answer honestly, please don't answer honestly, please don't answer honestly…!_

"This is Darth Vader, dark lord of the Sith…and your executioner. Your time has come, Master Ti. Surrender yourself, and your apprentice, and your lives shall be spared."

"You can't possibly have found me," Shaak Ti scoffed. "You're bluffing." But deep down, she knew the terrible truth: the only ones who had her comlink channel were the Jedi of the Old Republic, and a few acquaintances outside the Order. And maybe some people she didn't like, but needed for various reasons anyway…any one of them could have given her away. But no one would, because she had changed her channel when she had been run out of the Core. Now, only Jedi should be able to access it…

But Vader used to be a Jedi.

"You know I do not lie, Master Ti. Search the Force: you have known for days."

Shaak Ti's heart began to beat with the speed of a tribal drum. So this was the threat of which Qui-Gon had spoken of-she hadn't killed what was supposed to have killed her, she had merely killed his associate. This Sith was playing with her! He wanted to see if she was still as strong as she once was, or if she had been weakened, or if she had even gotten stronger. He was toying with her now! And Shaak Ti refused to stand for it.

"Whatever you think you're doing, knock it off," Shaak Ti growled, struggling with her crashing emotions. "I already dispatched the one you sent to kill me. Do not force me to do the same with you!"

"Starkiller was useless to me," the man on other end of the line said nonchalantly. "He needed to die. This was just a convenient way of killing two birds with one stone. I know now how I may defeat you-and I also have cast aside someone useless to me. Now, Master Ti-I advise you stay put. The entire planet is surrounded by my Imperial Fleet-you have nowhere to run."

"That's what you think," Shaak Ti whispered. Her breath was so soft that the comlink barely picked it up, and had an even harder time transmitting it to Vader. But still, the Sith lord caught her in his ear, and chuckled softly at her parting words. Right after she had spoken, Shaak Ti severed the link, and Vader had lost his connection with her. The com fell from Shaak Ti's shaking hands, and she gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. She took several deep, slow breaths to try to get her heart rate under control, but even that wasn't working. Shaak Ti instead drew from the light side of the Force, and literally breathed it in. The Force served her now not as a battle aid, but as a drug-her own personal cocaine. The result was instantaneous-Shaak Ti felt her pulsating heart calm from its spastic reactions, and her breath came a bit easier. She abruptly stood up, steadied by the hand of the living Force.

"You're all in danger here," she said, leaning forward and setting her hands on the table. "Maris, pack your things. Mrs. Brood, get your husband. Is there anywhere you can go to hide?"

"We will not run," Maris's mother said firmly. "We are Zabraks-we hide from no enemy. What must we do, if we do not run?"

Shaak Ti sighed. She didn't have time to argue, and her gut feeling told her that this woman wasn't backing down. "Fine," she said. "Your husband still has those blasters in the basement?"

"He does."

"Good. Get those, and spread the word. The entire village must be ready to defend itself. As must I. Maris, you will come with me. We are going to center ourselves in the Force, and prepare for what will be our finest hour. We will not die. Your village and your family will defend themselves. Mrs. Brood, gather the villagers. If you have warriors, now is the time."

Maris's mother nodded once and stood up, running into the basement, calling out her husband's name. Shaak Ti motioned to Maris. "I see you now where the cloak of the Jedi," she said slowly. She nodded once in approval. "Good. Get your lightsaber, and whatever other weapons you may hide on your person. Even something as uncivilized as a blaster can help you. Vibro-blades, anything. I am going to find an electro-staff. I'm good with those. You have one in the basement as well?"

Maris nodded numbly, a cold dread suddenly having spread throughout her system. Shaak Ti nodded once, and whipped around on her heel. Her lekku spun around her in a deadly, whip-like motion, and she ran to the doorway that was currently open. She called down to Maris's mother and father to bring up two electro-staffs, one for her, and one as a spare. Maris's mother and father came up shortly, the woman with the two staffs and four blasters, and the father with another eight blasters. Shaak Ti immediately dove for the sleekest, most compact blaster of them all, grabbing a fresh power pack from the kitchen drawer where she knew they were kept. She aimed the blaster at the floor, slammed the pack in, and twisted the barrel to lock and load the weapon. She kept it aimed at the floor, and moved it to the kitchen table. She set the weapon down next to the two staffs, and then pulled another, heavier blaster from Maris's father's hands. She dug through the drawer for another moment, found the corresponding power pack, and shoved that one in. A twist of the barrel, and the blaster was loaded. She tossed the weapon to Maris, who caught it one-handed and shoved it into the holster on her belt. Shaak Ti picked up her own blaster and flipped up the switch to let it prime. She shoved the blaster down the outside of her boot, with the handle sticking out of her boot and the barrel sliding smoothly down the side. Shaak Ti dropped her skirts down over her boot, hiding the weapons within. She found a vibro-blade in the kitchen drawer with the blaster packs in it, shoved inside a sheath that had multiple straps on it. Shaak Ti attached it to her wrist hilt-down, she a mere flick of her wrist would deliver the blade to her waiting palm. Maris was hiding weapons everywhere she possibly could: under her arms, behind her neck, on her ankles, on her wrists, on her calves, on her thighs, on her hips, and even one underneath her breasts. Shaak Ti sighed at this and glanced at Maris's mother.

"Who taught her that?"

Maris's mother gave a small snicker. "We didn't live in the friendliest neighborhood before we moved here a few years ago."

Shaak Ti shrugged, and checked her weapons one last time. She clipped her lightsaber to her belt just out of sight, but within easy reach, completing her deadly arsenal. She picked up the electro-staff, adjusted the length, and twirled it twice in her hands. She caught it easily, and turned to Maris.

"Ready to stage a surprise welcome party?"

**A/N: Well, I promised you that Shaak Ti would confront Vader. So, here it is. I am keeping my promise. But you all have to review, okay? I like hearing from you people. It makes me happy. :D**


	12. Chapter 12

Shaak Ti stood out behind Maris's house, rubicund complexion turned up towards the sun. The huge, light-generating orb hung seemingly in suspended animation over the jungle planet of Felucia, as if taunting Shaak Ti's dark fate. She gave a soft sigh of exasperation, and angrily turned and moved back inside the house. The jingle of weapons greeted her as soon as she entered, and the first thing she saw was Maris's mother holding two rather large shotguns, and Maris's father holding a huge rifle that looked like it could take out ten people in one round, one shot.

"What's the situation?"

Shaak Ti sighed again, but this was much more audible. "They still haven't reacted," she said slowly, glancing at her hip, as if expecting her comlink to beep with the Sith's reply to her challenge. "I know they're coming, I just don't know when!" she exclaimed, leaning against the wall. "I can't even see their ships-!"

"You wouldn't," Maris's father said gruffly. His graying hair bobbed as he raised his head from loading the massive rifle in his hands. "The sun would obscure your view. I'm sure they have cloaking panels on their ships, as well. Chances are, they'll launch some landing ships, and just storm us like that."

"Will your radars pick up those?" Shaak Ti asked.

"They should," Maris's father answered. "Unless we get shot at. Then, we won't need the sensors, anyway."

As if on cue, a loud, resounding horn-like sound came from outside. Shaak Ti jumped at the unfamiliar sound; both Maris's mother and father dropped what they were holding, seized their weapons, and bolted for the door.

"Let's go, Jedi!" Maris's father called back over his shoulder. "They're after you, you're fighting!"

Shaak Ti took off after them the second Maris's father had spoken, and the young girl came down from her room at a frightening pace. She seized Shaak Ti's arm as she darted past, dragging her out the door and into the street in seconds. "Come on," she said sharply. "You've become the head of the village's warriors-you need to lead them! They look to you as a leader. We can't let them down."

"You're absolutely right," Shaak Ti said, her lightsaber flying to her hand with a flicker of the Force. "So, what do you say we give these clowns a welcome party?"

"Everyone in the village knows what to do," Maris said hurriedly, still dragging Shaak Ti. "Don't worry about them. We need to be right in their faces when they land, though. Our lookouts have determined their landing point, which is exactly in the middle of the village. They'll just fan out from there and sweep the area looking for us."

Shaak Ti found herself right where Maris had said they would be: the middle of town. It was strangely desolate; all the usual traffic of people, speeders, and animals had disappeared. The clamor and din of merchants, shoppers, and travelers had completely disappeared, leaving an eerily silent stretch of empty road lined by vacant buildings. Shaak Ti wasn't sure where exactly ships were supposed to land, but she knew that they were close from the sound echoing in her montrals. The tall, curving horns picked up sound on both sides of the spectrum that were beyond most species' hearing range. The heavy whine of engines coupled with the roar of thrusters and the metallic scraping of disengaged landing gear filled Shaak Ti's head, soon followed by the staccato beat of many, many feet marching perfectly in synch.

"Well?"

"…they come…"

Maris could feel her heart leap into her chest, but swallowed it down again and took a few deep breaths. She could have no fear within her when she finally met the slayer of the entire Jedi race. Fear started her on the downward spiral to the dark side, just as it had with Darth Vader. Shaak Ti had told her the story. Vader had feared for his forbidden attachments, and thus, had driven himself to whatever means necessary to save her. Unfortunately, it was the path he took that killed his wife, and sent him even further into the Sarlaac's mouth. Maris had thought that dispelling her fear would be easy; but now, face to face with what could possibly be fear itself, she wasn't so sure.

The first of the troopers came.

Their white armor shining defiantly in the sun, their blunt black rifles held across their chest, they came in rows and columns of perfect assembly. Shaak Ti watched as they all brought their rifles into firing position, and then took aim at her and Maris. She remained as she was, where she was: standing perfectly still, hands open and relaxed at her sides, eyes calm, half-closed, and fixated on the troopers heading her way. An unintelligible yell suddenly broke through the repetitive staccato beat of the footfalls of the soldiers: their rifles snapped back up to bear, and they turned to face each other down the middle. Five troopers turned inwards from either side, and then all took several steps back. Shaak Ti's body, formerly still, suddenly gave a violent shiver. Her lengthy head-tail and montrals trembled, and clashed violently with her orange-and-white colored body. The troopers cast a wary glance in her direction, but otherwise did not acknowledge her. The Togruta could sense a presence in the Force approaching them at a rapid pace, with only the intent to kill in his mind. Shaak Ti knew that this was what Qui-Gon had said when he said that she was being targeted by one of the greatest evils this world had ever seen. This man purely radiated the dark side, and Shaak Ti could hardly feel the light side in the area.

And suddenly, it swelled.

Shaak Ti called upon the vast forces of the light side of the Force, bringing about a dramatic shift in the balance of the planet. Rotting under Vader's feet, the soil suddenly came alive again, whispering of the Jedi who had trodden here only minutes before. Shaak Ti suddenly became a living temple of the Force, with nothing but the pure essence of life flowing through her. A deep breath took it all in; a thorough exhale dispelled the dark side and all its emotions.

"Jedi Master Shaak Ti. You are under arrest for the crime of high treason to the Imperial Crown."

Shaak Ti's eyes slowly slid closed, and the smallest hint of an impish grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Don't you mean the crime of following a path not yours?" she said softly, not opening her eyes. Her grin only grew, though, and when Maris looked at her master, she found herself smirking the same smirk. Shaak Ti was suddenly venting an air of confidence and defiance. And it was quite contagious. Vader, though, was not amused.

"You may either submit and come quietly, or I will arrest you by force."

"Or executed."

"I am not above killing a rogue traitor such as you."

"You will not kill me, Anakin. I know you better than that."

Vader did a double-take at the sound of his name, and, for a moment, he could do nothing but reel from the shock. The audacity of Shaak Ti's remarks stunned him: most would be running in fear, or already rushing in to their demise, pitting themselves against his crimson blade-but Ti…no, she was far beyond anything Vader had ever seen. In the face of such danger, she mocked him. "How dare you speak to me with that forsaken name!" Vader finally cried, his red lightsaber springing into his hand and blazing to life. "You will either fall to your knees and beg for mercy, or you will die!"

Shaak Ti's eyes finally opened, but Vader was none too pleased with what he saw within them. There was the fire of the light side, and the blindness of one about to die. "I refuse," she hissed, venom suddenly creeping into her voice, "to be your pathetic little puppet. And you, Anakin, should have refused to be Palpatine's puppet. You were so much better than that-you had such promise. My Chosen One, why turn and forsake that which gave you life?"

"My mother is dead!" Vader cried. "And I have no father. Qui-Gon is dead; Obi-Wan is dead; Padme is dead. The light side had not the strength to sustain us! I have no life left within me!"

"And who do you think killed them?" Shaak Ti asked, calm once again. "The very scum you have become. Open your eyes, Anakin: I cannot defend you, nor justify your actions this time."

"_You will not speak to me with that name again!"_

"_I will not be demeaned by a Sith!"_

Vader suddenly lunged at Shaak Ti, his anger taking him over completely. Shaak Ti didn't lift a finger; Maris did. The blue blade Maris had constructed sprang into her hand and ignited, and she brought it bear in front of her. She didn't move, though: she trusted Shaak Ti to defend herself.

And defend herself, she did. Shaak Ti's light side powers suddenly revealed themselves to Vader in terrible certainty. Vader tried to check his attack, but his new body did not respond to him as well as he would have liked. He faltered, but did not stop, and Shaak Ti's attack hit him full-on. A powerful Force-shove met Vader's chest with crippling impact. The Sith lord flew back, his lightsaber falling from his hand and flying across the street with something resembling horizontal terminal velocity. Shaak Ti made no other move; she simply stood for a moment, tracking Vader's flight pattern with tranquil coal orbs. Vader finally landed, and crashed into the side of a building. He slowly slid down the side, collapsing into a heap at the foot of said building.

Maris took the scene in with shock. Vader's menacing black armor had been hurtling towards them one second, and then, in the next, Shaak Ti had blasted him across the street and possible into oblivion. Maris had counted eight seconds of hang time before Vader finally hit the building-several feet above the ground. He would have kept going! Maris glanced at Shaak Ti, still stunned by her master's true power. Even while she had been fighting Starkiller, this power hadn't been evident in the slightest. Maris could see now why exactly Shaak Ti had been hailed as one of the top five Jedi of her time: she was truly deeply in tune with the Force, and allowed it to work within her to its fullest potential. No more was she Shaak Ti the Togruta Jedi-she was nothing more than an instrument of the Force, and _that _was why she was so powerful.

_And you can be, too, young one._

Maris started at the voice she heard, but it was unfamiliar to her. It was a deep voice, clearly male, and older. Perhaps forty-five? Fifty? Maris cast about warily for someone else in the area, but there was no one there. Her heart climbed into her throat and began pulsating like a tribal drum. _Who are you? _she subconsciously called out, reaching into the Force for an answer.

_I am Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi of the Old Republic, _the voice answered, calmly and through the Force. _Shaak Ti had told you of me?_

Maris kept her outward appearance as steady as she could, and reached deeper into the Force. _No, she has not, _she replied.

_I am a Jedi Master from Anakin's childhood. I was the one who discovered him as the Chosen One and brought him to the Temple to be trained. I was killed by a Sith lord of old: Darth Maul. My apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took Anakin and trained him as his apprentice in my stead. I have since joined the Force, and I now communicate with living Jedi through it._

Maris shook her head slightly, but said nothing. Qui-Gon went on: _Only beings who are truly in synch with the Force can hear me. Your master; Yoda; Obi-Wan; and now, you. You have discovered the secret of Shaak Ti's power, and now you, too, can access her same power. Just allow the Force to work through you, and you will prevail. You are the shatter point, Maris: fight with Shaak Ti and the Force. Do not allow Vader to intimidate you. Deep down, he is still a lovesick little boy mourning for the loss of his lover. Now, I must depart from you. But please, bear in mind my words._

And, just like that, Maris was shocked back to the present. All around her, the living Force swirled, channeled through Shaak Ti and directed towards Vader. His lightsaber came to a rolling halt at Shaak Ti's feet, the red blade still protruding from the elaborate handle. Shaak Ti carelessly kicked the saber back in Vader's direction, and this time, it stop halfway between them.

"Pick it up. I do not slaughter defenseless."

Maris was shocked, once again, at Shaak Ti's integrity. She refused to win by luck alone. What was she trying to prove? Then, it hit Maris: it wasn't Shaak Ti that was speaking. It was the Force, using Shaak Ti's voice. Maris slowly took a step back, feeling the raw power simply falling off Shaak Ti. As she did, Vader shakily stood up, calling his lightsaber into hand with a flicker of the dark side.

"Jedi," he snarled, the animosity in his voice prevalent, "You made a grave mistake in not following up that attack. In that fraction of a second, you could have ended it. But instead, you chose to spare me, and so, you will to see the consequences. And those consequences entail your death."

Shaak Ti only offered a coy smile, and she slowly extended one hand to vader. Maris could feel the Force flowing in and around and out of Shaak Ti, and she offered the light side to Vader, hoping to provoke some memories. "Come back," she said softly. "I know you, Anakin: this isn't you. Don't make me fight you."

"Consider yourself lucky, Shaak Ti," Vader rasped harshly, "you won't live long enough to wallow in your own self-pity and sorrow."

The barb effectively slid beneath Shaak Ti's skin, but she ignored it as best she could. "Anakin, I will do what I must. I cannot allow my personal feelings to get in the way; I will kill you if I must."

"You will try."

And Vader had returned for round two.

**A/N: Clouds are fluffy…and tasty…like cheesy cheese that smeels and tastes like cheese**

**Quote from my cousin via text message. Review, please.**


	13. Chapter 13

Up, down, left, right.

Above, below, in front, behind.

Shaak Ti's blue lightsaber had no problems parrying Vader's every move. His strokes were not as polished, given his new limbs and his lack of understanding of them. His moved did not hold the proper amount of power; either too much, or too little. Both were, again, on account of his new body. Shaak Ti almost pitied the boy. She was putting out almost no effort to duel him, and Vader seemed to be expending more energy than was probably healthy. But the suit he was encased in allowed him to fight for virtually forever, with minimal damage to his real body. Or rather, what was left of it. Shaak Ti again felt a stab of pity strike at her heart. So much had been thrust onto the shoulders of this young boy, old enough to have established his own personality, habits, and mannerisms, and then, he is suddenly whisked away from everything he knows and loves to follow a career and lifestyle where everything is almost the complete opposite of what he had experienced beforehand. Shaak Ti knew that it would have been hard for Anakin, and had thus opposed his training.

She should have pushed harder, she thought, as their blades crossed again. She knew she could have easily persuaded several other members of the Council, as if they all weren't already doubting. But, she had given in. For Qui-Gon's sake. She wanted to keep him from defying the Council yet again. As she wasn't on the Council yet, she didn't have much say but she was close friends with several of the members, and thus knew of the situation. She was also very close with Qui-Gon, and had discouraged the man from training Anakin from day one. And then, it wasn't even Qui-Gon who would be training Anakin, but Obi-Wan instead? No. Obi-Wan was young, headstrong, untried-Shaak Ti knew he was capable, but she also knew that it would be better for him to gain some experience before taking on such an undertaking as a much older Padawan. But, since Obi-Wan had sworn it to Qui-Gon, Shaak Ti decided it would be better for Obi-Wan not to go back on his word. A dying wish was one thing one never disrespected, disregarded, or disobeyed.

But now…the Chosen One…was Qui-Gon wrong? Or was this the hand of Fate, playing with them all yet again? Shaak Ti had no idea, but she knew that, through the sizzle of their blades, Vader would never be reached. She had to try something else. But, for now, she needed to tire him out a little more. The Force swelled up within Shaak Ti again, and she launched herself into a sudden frenzy of attacks. Vader immediately gave ground, surprised by her ferocity. Shaak Ti dealt him one stunning upwards sweep-Vader fell back, simply from the transfer of energy from blade to blade. He landed against the side of a building, and Shaak Ti placed her sword dangerously near his neck.

"Now, I want you to listen to me, Anakin," Shaak Ti said softly. "I know this isn't you. I know you only wanted to live up to your expectations. No, hear me out!" Shaak Ti interjected when she saw Vader's hands twitch on his blade. "I know that the Jedi pressured you a lot. Being the Chosen One isn't easy. Especially being raised away from the Jedi, and then suddenly being told everything you've been doing is wrong? No. That wasn't fair of us. But you must understand, we were only honoring Qui-Gon's wishes. Also keep in mind that we had no idea of anything like that-"

"Shut up!" Vader screamed, trying to move away from Shaak Ti's lightsaber. Still, he got virtually nowhere. "You know nothing about me! I don't have to explain myself to you! You don't know anything about me, my reasons for wanting more power-!"

"But I do!"

Shaak Ti glanced over at Maris in shock. What was the girl thinking?! She couldn't even hope to know what was going on! She hadn't been even anywhere near the Temple in her life, let alone around for Anakin's story. How could she possibly know?

"I know that you only wanted to save Padme," Maris said, stepping closer. Her blade's angle dropped, so it was pointing directly at the ground. "But you should have realized that she wouldn't accept you for evil! Your children? Anakin, I know you were in love with her! And Qui-Gon knows, too! He's been with us the whole time, Anakin! And he knows why you did it. But it doesn't make it excusable. Come back, Anakin. Master Kenobi loves you-he always has. He considers you the son he never had. But he was forced to kill you from you when he went and attacked him. And then he thought you were dead, but you weren't, and so you're here now, and…" Maris stopped, and heaved in a deep breath. "Anakin, please. We can forgive you. What, do you think we're all some horrible witches that won't understand?! Anakin, I've loved, I've lost, and so has Master Ti! Both of her Padawans? Her daughters. Both killed the week they made knighthood. Don't lose everything. It's not too late! Your children-?"

Vader's gaze swiveled from Shaak Ti to Maris, and the Togruta would swear that the shredded, ruined remains of Vader's face were twisted into a scowling ferocity at that moment in time. "And you!" he screamed, his rose-colored blade flicking up and brushing aside Shaak Ti's. He then launched himself at Maris, too quickly for even Shaak Ti to react. "Shut your mouth, lest your life come to end, insolent child! You daughter of a whore! Spawn of a bastard! You were probably born on the back of a speeder-!"

All of a sudden, there was a blur of blue, white, and orange standing in front of him.

"That's quite enough," Shaak Ti growled, menacing Vader with her azure blade once again. "Anakin, you will not make such disgusting insults. Or I will not hesitate to silence you permanently!"

"You don't scare me, you circus freak," Vader spat, raising his own blade. Flame and sky met in a stunning clash of sparks and light, raining down upon the combatants. Shaak Ti's blade locked with Vader's, and Vader's saber locked with hers. They held the same position, Vader using his height and weight to his advantage. He leaned over Shaak Ti, trying to force her over backwards. But Shaak Ti fought back viciously, using pure strength and the Force to combat Vader's physical advantages. She knew she wouldn't allow him to intimidate her-that was what the Sith worked with. Intimidation was their way of winning their fights. They made their opponents think that they were far stronger than they were, and thus made them give up before they even tried. Shaak Ti deplored this method of fighting; she thought it was despicable, underhanded, dirty, and flat-out uncivilized. Like blaster pistols!

"And you don't scare me, either. What do I have to fear from a droid?"

Shaak Ti couldn't help it. Even through her detached Jedi demeanor, her Togruta predatory instincts took over. Her sharp, pointed teeth were revealed in terrifying fullness, and the insult slipped through her lips like she had never been a Jedi to begin with. Shaak Ti could feel Vader falter, and then reached out through the Force, aiming a sharp punch at his gut using the Force alone. She needed both hands to hold back his saber. Vader completely missed the block, and the force of what was supposed to be stopping Shaak Ti's strike sailed right past them both. Vader sailed back through the air, striking yet again one of the many buildings in the area. His lightsaber was left by Shaak Ti's feet, deactivated and rolling towards her. Shaak Ti gently stopped it with her foot, and then called it to her hand with a wave of the Force.

"Normally, Anakin, I would simply walk away from this fight, seeing as you have been utterly defeated time and again. But, I cannot let you simply go your way around this village, and so, I will do what I must to keep you from harming these people. I don't want to kill you, Anakin-I still hope for your lost, tortured soul. But I will if I am forced to do so. Don't force me to do it. Walk away."

At first, Vader looked like he was going to refuse. He struggled to his feet, clutching at the side of the building for his balance. He cast about for his saber, but, seeing it in Shaak Ti's hands, seemed to reconsider. "I wish I could," he said. "But, if you don't kill me, Lord Sidious will. And you'll do it mercifully."

Shaak Ti's eyes widened in shock. "oh, no, Anakin, don't-"

"Too late."

Vader threw himself at Shaak Ti, in one desperate, suicidal attempt. As he moved, Shaak Ti seemed to feel time slow down. She could see clearly not Vader rushing towards, her but a sweet, innocent little boy, barely six, who had already raced Pods and won, provided for his mother, built a droid, built a Pod, and dealt with a nasty Toydarian easily on a daily basis. And, through it all, he still remained hopeful that there was something better out there for him and his mother, and that someone would take them both away. And here he was now, years and years later, rushing to his death at the hands of someone who had possible served as a mother figure to him. And then, Shaak Ti realized:

She had moved.

Vader's lifeless body lay at her feet, the head of which lay a few feet away. Shaak Ti dropped Vader's lightsaber: the one she had used to make the kill. She found that she couldn't dirty her own blade with such work as to kill an innocent. She tried to tell herself that he had attacked her, and therefore her attack was justified, but it still broke her heart as Anakin's life faded away into the Force. Shaak Ti deactivated the red lightsaber, and called upon the Force for the last time in that particular fight. She focused it in and around her hand, and crushed the lightsaber with one easy tightening of her fingers.

The ruined metal fell to the ground next to Vader's body, along with the ruined remains of Shaak Ti's heart.

OOOOOOOOOO

In the space station, Darth Sidious almost fell over.

Vader had been killed. But how? And why? Shaak Ti. It must have been her, for the sudden surge of light that blinded his Force vision. Sidious was thrown from the currents of the Force he had been meditating in, and brutally hurled back into real life. He gasped harshly, a terrible, rasping sound that indicated rapidly deteriorating health. Sidious clutched at his chest, bending over almost completely in agony. The dark side had been almost completely wiped out! From one sweep of a blade! Shaak Ti…that bog witch! She would pay for this! But, who could Sidious use? There wasn't anyone else: Vader, just being killed. Maul, killed long ago. Dooku, killed just a few years ago. Ventress, killed by Kenobi-

Or was she? Sidious thought back on the incident, and found that he could never remember finding Ventress leave the Force. So, she was still alive, was she? Ah, clever little Rattataki, she was. Sidious would have to find her. It wouldn't be easy, he knew, but he would do it. She was his last chance. With this thought in mind, Sidious plunged back into the Force, searching for Ventress.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Ventress was actually feeling serene. Then her home's Holotransmitter went off.

With a rough groan of frustration, Ventress stood up from her acrobatic position: on her stomach, with her legs up in the air behind herself, with her arms tucked back along her sides with her hands at her shoulders. She adjusted her slipping top, and then went to receive the message. It was from an unknown channel, and it slightly annoyed Ventress that someone outside what little friends she had had managed to find her. She pressed the "accept" button, more curious then peeved. But not for long.

A familiar hooded figure popped up.

Ventress hissed in anger, and was about to depress the "end connection" button when the figure spoke.

"Don't you dare."

Ventress allowed her face to rearrange itself into a terrifying sneer. "Why should I listen to you, you backstabbing, no-good, traitorous, using, manipulative, two-faced, lying cheating, pig of a bastard?!"

"Because I am stronger than you, and I know where you live."

"Not for long, you don't," Ventress growled. "I can pack up and get my ass out of here in minutes."

"But you won't."

"Give me one good reason."

"I'm paying you in Sith techniques and possible membership to assassinate a Jedi."

Ventress was only shocked for a moment. So, he wanted her back, eh? Using her again, no doubt. But Ventress had to say, the offer of finally becoming a Sith was enticing. Damn, Sidious could play her like a violin on this one, too. Still, Ventress had to make sure he was serious. She leaned back slightly, shifting her weight into one hip and folding her arms across her chest. "Forget it," she snickered, painted lips spreading in a grotesque imitation of a sadistic snarl. "I'm done fighting your war."

"My dear, have you been living under a rock? The war is over. The first galactic Empire has been established-"

"I know about _that,_ you fool!" Ventress exploded, slamming her hands down on the control console. "I'm talking about your incessant war with the Jedi. I'm done being your worthless pawn. I have retired the mantle of Sith. The Sith were supposed to simply explore the Force through passion, not genocide! I recognize now that my anger was misplaced. Don't try to manipulate me again."

Sidious had to say, he was rather incensed at Ventress's denial, but he tried to remain calm. He had to think clearly to win her over. "What are you talking about?" he said, still working his words to fit Ventress's thoughts. "The Jedi abandoned Ky-don't you think that makes them as responsible for his death than the pirates who pulled the trigger?"

Ventress snickered again, regaining her composure and folding her arms across her breast again. "No more responsible than I," she declared. "Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Ventress, if you do not accept this missions, you and I will have more words-!"

"Speak then, you old bag of wind. But do not expect an ear to listen."

"I will not stand for being insulted so-!"

"Sit then, if it pleases you, but I will continue to insult you until you leave me alone. I am through satiating your bloodlust!"

Sidious was now thoroughly upset. He was not fond of having a defiant child, in his eyes, insult him left and right and get away with it. He couldn't harm her physically, and that was probably why she thought she could get away with disrespecting him, but the next time Sidious was so much as on the same planet as that woman-!

"Ventress," Sidious said slowly, caressing each syllable and then simply spitting it out. "I have ways, my girl, of making you obey me. You would be best to reconsider your insolence."

"We will see."

Ventress, at this point, was simply done. She reached out and touched one finger to the control console and then, the connection between her and Sidious was severed. She just needed to hide, now.

Time to find some of those Felucian ysalimars.

**A/N: Just in case that last line wasn't clear, that is supposed to indicate that Ventress is on Felucia. I'll explain that next chapter…or rather, Ventress will explain it to someone else on Felucia. : ) So, review!!**


	14. Chapter 14

Ventress whisked through the forest, graceful as the wraiths of legend and silent as the wind itself. Her feet made no sound on the forest floor as she ran; the trees' leaves barely rustled in her passing. The animals scarcely acknowledged her presence. Several pitcher plants snapped at the disturbance she caused in the air, but they were nothing more than empty attempts. Ventress sped through the trees and vegetation, searching for the void in the Force where she would find a ysalamir. It didn't take her long; there was a cute little critter clinging to a tree off to her left, and Ventress immediately went after it. She wrapped her hands around the tree branch the ysalamir was sitting on, knowing she couldn't detach it from the tree without killing it, and prepared to break it off.

"Don't."

Ventress froze, glancing around to see who had spoken. She spotted a female Togruta, barely six feet away, dressed in the robes of a Jedi. A female Zabrak stood next to her, also garbed like a Jedi. Both women looked like they had just come from battle; the Zabrak's hair was mussed, and the Togruta's hands were scratched. Both of their robes were splattered with blood and the edges bore scorch marks; most likely from blaster fire. Ventress turned around, snickering slightly at the sight of them.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" she drawled, placing her hands on her hips. The Togruta seemed unfazed; the Zabrak looked slightly angered at Ventress's sarcasm.

"You owe the pleasure to two Jedi," the Zabrak snapped. "I am Maris Brood, Jedi Knight. And this is Jedi Master Shaak Ti, High Council Jedi Master."

Ventress's eyebrows rose. "So, you've managed to survive the Purge," she said, admiration coloring her voice. "But how do I know if your claims are true?"

"Step two feet to the left," the one called Shaak Ti answered smoothly. "You will sense our presences, Ventress."

"Ah, and you know my name. I'm honored," Ventress said, voice dripping with mock sincerity. But, despite her seeming skepticism, she did as Shaak Ti had asked her to and stepped outside the bubble of Force-repulsion that the ysalamir presented.

A sudden, overbearing wave of pure _light_ almost floored her.

Ventress clutched at her chest, coughing violently as the spasms of shock overrode her body. After a moment, though, she recovered, and straightened up from her doubled-over hacking. "You did that on purpose!" she accused, glaring at Shaak Ti. The Togruta merely shrugged.

"You slaughtered hundreds of Jedi without a backwards glance."

Ventress would grudgingly admit that she might have deserved that. But it didn't mean that she couldn't complain about it. Still, Ventress would try to be cordial. Chances were, this Jedi had hunted her down to eliminate the rest of the Sith. Maybe she could talk her way out of this one. "I'm not the one you're looking for," she said slowly. "There is one even more powerful than Dooku, or Vader, or myself. His name is Darth Sidious-"

"We know," Shaak Ti said simply. "I also know that Darth Vader has been killed. I killed him myself."

"And I thank you extensively," Ventress said dryly. "He was wearing on my nerves."

"When did you ever have contact with him?" Maris asked, a sharp edge to her voice.

Ventress waved her off. "None of your business," she said. "Anyway, are you gonna do it here, or are you gonna buy me a last drink?"

"We're not here to kill you," Shaak Ti said simply. "Unless you move to attack us, we will not even touch our weapons."

"Now there's a first," Ventress said. "I haven't come across any other being of some reasonable level of intelligence that doesn't want to kill me in…wow, years. Before exile, I mean."

"Impressive," Shaak Ti returned smoothly. "Now, I feel compelled to ask: why are you attempting to steal a ysalamir?"

"Darth Sidious," Ventress hissed. "He wants me to take Vader's place. I said no. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

A smile twitched at the corners of Shaak Ti's lips. "Ah, that sounds like every other Sith in the world," she murmured. "And now you're hiding from him?"

"Got that right," Ventress grunted, reaching out and snapping the branch off the tree. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

And she was gone.

Shaak Ti laughed slightly as Ventress disappeared. "Well, I suppose that answers that question," she said lightly. "Now, I have a few questions for you."

Maris quirked an eyebrow.

"Come," Shaak Ti said, starting off in the direction of the Mega Sarlaac Pits. "I want to discuss this in a place where I can center myself."

Maris balked. "You aren't going to the-?"

Shaak Ti smiled softly. "It won't hurt you if you put yourself in the Force. It can sense your presence, and it will know if you're calm or not."

Maris shuddered. Right from birth, it had been engraved into her brain not to go near the Mega Sarlaac-ever. She had always been told that the Sarlaac was one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet, and it would eat her alive. Maris had never been near the Sarlaac before Shaak Ti had come into her life-the Togruta had almost forced her to go near it, at times.

"Come on," she said softly, stretching her hand back behind her to Maris. "I promise, it'll be fine. Trust me."

Maris sighed softly. She wanted to trust Shaak Ti, but the constraints and constant harping of the world around her were vying for that trust. Well, the only way to get over this would be to trust in Shaak Ti.

"I trust you." Maris took a step forward, and matched Shaak Ti's beat as they walked. Their footsteps were soon exactly the same; the steady drum of their boots against the ground barely drew attention from even the animals around them. Several leaves rustled beside them: the carnivorous pitcher plants looking for a snack. But, upon discovering that Maris and Shaak Ti might be a little big for them to ingest, the plants settled again. Shaak Ti wove elegantly through the forest, Maris by her side, walking over to the Mega Sarlaac pits.

The terrifying Sarlaac was revealed as soon as they broke the trees.

Maris balked, but Shaak Ti walked right up to the huge beast. Its slimy tentacles were waving around in the air in search of a meal. Shaak Ti sat down barely a foot from the beast's maw, crossing her legs calmly and setting her hands palm-up on her knees. The Sarlaac reached over with two of its tendrils, poking and prodding at the air around Shaak Ti as it sought her out. But, to Maris's surprise, Shaak Ti raised a hand and ran it up and down the Sarlaac's cauterized tendrils, seemingly seeking to placate the hungry Sarlaac. Maris was shocked again: the beast was responding to her touch! Then, the Zabrak female felt the waves of the Force coming off Shaak Ti: she was using the life-energy she possessed to calm the Sarlaac, and convince it she was not for eating. The Sarlaac seemed to have no problem with this, and retreated into its own mouth. Shaak Ti smiled softly at Maris, and patted the ground next to her. Maris slowly moved forward, sitting down next to Shaak Ti, but still three feet away from the Sarlaac's mouth. Shaak Ti deemed this acceptable progress, and turned slightly to see Maris.

"So, Maris," she said slowly, "I've been wondering for a while now: how did you know what had happened here when Vader sent his apprentice to attack me?"

Maris shrugged slightly, imitating Shaak Ti's position. "I just kind of…sensed it, in the Force. It was pretty powerful, I'll say that."

Shaak Ti smiled slightly. "You were very brave to come here," she said, "In the full knowledge that I could be dead, and my killer still here."

"In a way, he was," Maris said slowly. "He just wasn't alive."

Shaak Ti nodded. "I suppose. But, I do thank you again for acting in such a manner that saved my life. Now, my next question: have you ever encountered a Sith before this?"

Maris shook her head. "They never came here, we never went there. Why?"

Shaak Ti offered Maris a small smile. "We will have to confront a Sith soon," she said. "I have just found a way to contact the surviving Jedi in the galaxy. So far, I have found only Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Obi-Wan's apprentice, Luke Skywalker. I know that several others escaped Order 66; I made sure of that at the Temple. Kazdan Paratus I got out of there; Jin-Lo Rayce, as well. Several Padawans…ah, I can't remember them now. I have, been looking for others, as Master Kenobi has informed me of others surviving tat he has contacted. Olee Starstone, Rahm Koto, and several others. I asked about the rest of the Council-he said that none them survived." Shaak Ti shook her head sadly. "Not even Master Windu. None of us could save ourselves, in the end. But, I'm hoping to establish firm contact between myself and the survivors: namely, Master Kenobi. He is actually the closest to us of all the known survivors: he is on Tattooine right now. And he has asked me if it would be alright if he came looking for me. I said he was welcome to come, and told him where I was."

"You would be so trusting?" Maris asked skeptically.

"It was him," Shaak Ti said confidently. "The Force did not lie to me about his identity. He said he would be here in a few days."

"When did you speak with him?"

"A few days ago."

Maris rolled her eyes. "You never tell me anything, do you?" she asked. But the laugh was evident in her voice.

"Well, I have to do _something_ at home."

Maris felt a small smile creep across her face. "One other has survived-well, sort of," she said. "Do you know a Qui-Gon Jinn?"

Shaak Ti's brow furrowed in concentration. "Yes," she said slowly. "We were close friends a while ago-about ten years before the Clone Wars." She turned her face up to the light filtering down through the trees. "Force, it seems like an eon ago," she whispered, closing her eyes against the brightness of the sun's rays. Maris smiled.

"I can talk to him now!"

Shaak Ti's eyes snapped open in surprise. "You, too?" she gasped. "Was that how you knew about Vader?"

Maris nodded slowly. "Sorry," she said. "I meant to tell you about that."

Shaak Ti sighed, but couldn't help but feel happy. One more that Qui-Gon could communicate with. He had been quite a help to her through the years, and she was thankful that Maris could experience the same. Having a friend on the other side might help…if something went wrong.

"He's here."

"Huh?"

"Master Kenobi."

"Shaak Ti!"

Shaak Ti was on her feet in an instant, running to the tall, slender human male standing behind her on the other side of the Sarlaac. "Obi-Wan!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and almost knocking the both of them over. Obi-Wan laughed, and hugged her in return. He understood her feelings: he had experienced all of the same while waiting for contact from anyone else besides Yoda. It was agonizing. And, to finally see another Jedi in person? It must have been an amazing relief to her. Shaak Ti backed away after a moment, tears streaming down her face with the sudden relief of finally being able to sense that calming presence of a Jedi.

"Obi-Wan! Force, what did you do to get here?"

Obi-wan shrugged casually. "Took a bus."

"Dressed like that?! I'm surprised you didn't get shot!"

Obi-Wan smiled, gesturing to the Jedi robes he still somehow wore. "Oh, the bus was empty."

Shaak Ti smiled, sighed, and rolled her eyes. But there was something incredibly soothing about Obi-Wan's dry humor that she was so grateful to have that she couldn't even bring herself to scold him for the recklessness. "Well?" she asked. "You said that this was too important to share over comm. Or Holonet. So, what's up?"

Instead of answering, Obi-Wan glanced over Shaak Ti's shoulder at the young Zabrak woman behind them. Maris had risen to her feet, but she hadn't come much close than ten feet.

"That's my apprentice, Maris Brood," Shaak Ti said. "Maris, this is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He sat on the Council with me during the Clone Wars."

Maris came closer now, giving Obi-Wan a small, customary bow of respect. "It's an honor," she said slowly. Obi-Wan bowed in return.

"Likewise," he said. "Shaak Ti mentioned you saved her life. You'll have to tell me that story later."

Maris smiled, and nodded, causing Obi-Wan to do the same. Maris's first impression of Obi-Wan was that of a slightly crazy, but definitely fun uncle, maybe. His hair, formerly an auburn brown, was graying at the temples, and had lighter streaks running through it. His face was young, a bit tired, and his steel gray eyes seemed friendly, but focused. He had a beard around his mouth, but his jaw was clean shaven. Maris was almost afraid to meet them in full. Obi-Wan made her feel like she was under scrutiny, but at the same time accepted immediately. Maris wasn't sure what exactly she thought of him, as a matter of fact.

"Well?" Shaak Ti pressed, sounding almost giddy in her excitement. Obi-Wan laughed, and took her shoulders in his hands.

"Shaak Ti," he started, looking right into her eyes. "The last of us Jedi are siding with the Rebel Alliance-to defy the Empire, and to take it down once and for all. Will you and your Padawan join us?"

"She's not my Padawan," Shaak Ti said. "She was, but she has graduated to Knighthood. And yes, of course I'll join you!"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Alright, then," he said, beaming. "Maris, coming?"

Maris's smile stretched across her face. "Let's kick this pig!"

"The Alliance is stationed on Dantooine," Obi-Wan said. "Will you come back with me?"

Shaak Ti nodded. "When?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. Tonight. Day after tomorrow. Next time I can get a ride."

"Got friends?"

"Luke does."

Shaak Ti smiled. "Well, then, we'd best get packing."

**A/N: We're shooting for twenty chapters. Help me stay on track. Review!!**


	15. Chapter 15

Shaak Ti stared out the viewport of the empty public transport headed for Dantooine, anxious to see the planet. She had personally never been to Dantooine, but every source she had ever looked into, from data pads to people she knew who had been there, indicated that it was a nice planet to go to. Mostly farmland, untouched by the cities and industries of most of the rest of the galaxy, and pleasantly free of Hutts, gamblers, bounty hunters, and those running from the law. Gangsters, slavers, and other such unpleasant things had no life there, and it was a relatively low-profile planet just on the edges of the Outer Rim. Too close to the former boundaries of the Republic for the low-lives of the galaxy, but far enough away from it that not many would pay too much attention to it. Shaak Ti looked forward to finally be able to walk through the grass again, without any fear of stepping on a land mine. She just looked forward to walking through grass, period. She hadn't done so in a very, very, long time. Coruscant was a nice enough planet, but Shaak Ti found it too constrictive, crowding, and it didn't have nearly enough open space. The entire planet was just one big city, and it irked her that there wasn't a blade of grass in sight. Felucia was nice, too, but there were just too many things trying to eat her to be a truly pleasant planet.

"Well, we're here."

Shaak Ti pulled herself out of her daydream, and glanced out the viewport again. And there it was: Dantooine. A beautiful, blue-green orb, half light and half dark, sitting quietly in the midst of space, a tranquil ball of peace. Shaak Ti heard her sharp intake of breath as a quite audible gasp; Obi-Wan leaned over next to her, looking out the viewport at the very same thing she was.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Shaak Ti nodded. "Wow, you guys sure know how to pick your location," she said. Maris walked over to them, and slid into the row of seats behind Shaak Ti. She took a peek out the viewport, and nodded appreciatively.

"Nice," she commented. "Is there any carnivorous vegetation?"

"No, as a matter of fact," Obi-Wan said. "And thank the Force for that. I wasn't used to Felucia, and a few of those pitcher plants you have almost killed me." He shook his head, shuddering. "I will never get used to the fact that sedentary creatures can eat meat. It's a plant! It's supposed to go for photosynthesis, and all that good stuff. It's not supposed to hunt!"

Shaak Ti smiled. "You get used to it after a while," she said. Obi-Wan gave a snort of laughter.

"Ah, that's reassuring. Like there weren't enough things already out for my head…"

"Has the Alliance been made public yet?"

"Oh, very much so," Obi-Wan replied. "And yes, they do know that there are Jedi involved. We haven't let it leak who, though, and we are just releasing it that we are rallying every Jedi we can find. And that the numbers may surprise Vader."

Vader…the name struck a chord in Shaak Ti's heart. She felt the scabbed-over wound twitch, burn, and then sting, before finally quieting again. Vader was _not _Anakin; he was some unearthly creature brought forth by the twisted words of a raving madman. She took a deep breath though, and crushed the hurt that arose within her. She couldn't afford to be weak now; not when they were so close.

The transport landed on Dantooine's surface, right in the middle of a grassy field. Obi-Wan paid their fare, plus a little extra to keep the pilot quiet, and then, the party exited the transport. Obi-Wan seemed to know where he was going; he marched right off into the tress bordering the field, leaving Shaak Ti and Maris to follow in wonder.

Shaak Ti kicked off her boots right away, and simply walked through the field and the forest barefoot. She breathed a sigh of contentment, and picked up her boots in her hands and just walked. Maris gave her a confused glance, but did not mirror her movements. Shaak Ti, meanwhile, lost herself in the bliss of the forests, simply following Obi-Wan without question and without reserve. The grass beneath her feet was slightly damp with dew, and it clung to her feet as she walked. The branches around her rustled and swayed with the gentle breeze that was passing them, and the dried leaves crunched under her feet. Several insects buzzed around, but none of them paused on their way to bother them. Shaak Ti thought she caught a glimpse of some of the wildlife, but none of them stopped to bother them, either. Twigs snapped underfoot; leaves rustled as they were kicked. Shaak Ti knew she was going to be feeling this little adventure of hers later, but for now, she was just enjoying being back in full touch with the earth itself.

"Well, Shaak Ti, you might want to put your shoes back on. We're here."

Shaak Ti was slightly disappointed at the short time frame, but said nothing, instead shoving her feet back into her boots and tightening the straps around the top that held the boots on. Obi-Wan waited for her, then started forward again. Shaak Ti could see, through the few trees left, a short, metallic structure that was barely the size of the average house they had seen on Felucia. Maris's brow furrowed; "That few, huh?"

"Most of it's underground."

Obi-Wan broke the tree line, finally, Maris and Shaak Ti in tow, and he simply walked up to the door and pressed his hand to the pad next to the door. The pad scanned in his hand print, and then, the locking mechanism on the door released. "I'll add your biometrics later," Obi-Wan said. "But, for now, you need to meet the crew." He walked inside the bunker complex, Shaak Ti and Maris still following a step behind, and the doors hissed shut behind them.

Shaak Ti was almost immediately greeted by stares. She suspected it wasn't often that these people-mostly humans-got to see a Togruta. Or a Jedi, for that matter. Or a Togruta Jedi. They first stared at her, and then, her lightsaber. Then they moved to Maris, who was slightly less exotic, but still a sight, and then to Maris's lightsaber. Only then did they seem to notice Obi-Wan, and their postures and facial expressions relaxed.

"Hey, Kenobi's back," one man said, walking up to Obi-Wan and clapping him on the shoulder. "These the ladies you mentioned?"

"As a matter of fact, Han, they are," Obi-Wan replied, looking more than amused. Shaak Ti and Maris traded slightly concerned glances.

"Well, hello, Jedi," Han said smoothly, practically shoving Obi-Wan aside and stepping up to Shaak Ti. "And hello, gorgeous. You with someone right now?"

Shaak Ti's more sarcastic nature suddenly kicked in. After all, the body's defense against stupidity was sarcasm. "Not if it's you who's asking," she said, giving the man called Han a cursory glance up and down.

"Ho!" Maris hooted. "You like your toast burned?!"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Yeah, Han, you got served right there," he said, his grin seeming all the more sadistic by the way his eyes twinkled and his very posture seemed to say, _told you so! _Han glanced back at Obi-Wan, and gave him a withering glare. More taunts echoed throughout the entrance hall to the bunker, including, "She owned you!" and "Han, this lady just handed you your ass in a silver platter!" Shaak Ti couldn't help but smirk slightly as she listened to the rebukes, but extended a hand to Han and said,

"Shaak Ti, Jedi Master and member of the former High Council. I assume your name is Han."

Han nodded slowly, taking her hand and slowly shaking it. "Um, yeah," he said, sounding rather sheepish. "Han Solo. Smuggler, Wookiee rescuer, gambler-"

"And lady-killer," Maris snickered.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Shaak Ti said, giving Maris a gentle smack on the arm. But, she could help but smile at Maris's joke. She was doing better than the rest of the people gathered, though: they all outright laughed at Han's predicament.

"Usually they go for my stunning good looks and charming personality."

Shaak Ti did laugh at this. "Whatever helps you sleep at night," she said, shaking her head. More yowls and hoots echoed throughout the room, and Obi-Wan finally had to step in and quiet the din. "Thank you," he said, glaring at both Shaak Ti and Han. "Now, if you two are done hitting on each other?"

Shaak Ti's jaw dropped, and she held up a hand defensively. "Oh, Obi-Wan, not you too?! You, of all people, should know that I have forsaken attachment in favor of the Jedi Code!"

Obi-Wan offered Shaak Ti an impish grin. "My apologies, Master Ti. Couldn't resist. Now, I suppose you will want to meet some of our higher-ups?"

"Of course," she said, nodding to Obi-Wan. The older Jedi Master moved off, parting the crowds and leading Shaak Ti to a turbolift at the end of the hall. He got in, waited for the two females, and then sent them all the way to the bottom. They arrived in less than thirty seconds, and the lift opened upon a large, circular room. Around the round table stood several people who Shaak Ti recognized, and several others whom she did not. Some of them were clearly Jedi, and she knew all of them. She recognized several who were not, but there were still others who she did not even know the occupation of. She knew An'ya Kuro, or the Dark Woman, Tholme, Quinlan Vos, Rahma Kota, and Olee Starstone. Even Piell was a familiar face; the short troll-like alien had sat on the Council with her for years. Roan Shryne was a Jedi she knew only in name and face, and Bol Chatak was his Zabrak friend. As far as politicians went, Shaak Ti recognized Bail Organa and Mon Mothma. The Togruta Jedi had never been much of one for politics, and thus, barely knew anyone. There was a young woman in a long white dress standing next to Bail; her dark brown hair was curled into two buns on the sides of her head. There was a grizzled old man standing opposite her, with a frizzy head of hair and an even wilder beard. His hair, formerly black, was now graying, and his eyes were heavily-lidded and sleepy. There was a Wookiee there as well; he was one fo the ones whose position in the Alliance Shaak Ti could not discern. He looked like a walking carpet-which, to Shaak Ti's dismay, Maris voiced.

"Who's the overgrown mud-sheep?"

The Wookiee barked an irritated response, which earned him a scolding swat from the woman next to him-the one with the coiled hair. "Chewbacca!" she said, sounding rather appalled. "You don't use that language!" The Wookiee growled again. "I don't care if she is one!"

Maris snickered slightly, and Shaak Ti smacked her firmly on the back of the head. "You know, you just can't resist trouble, can you?" she said incredulously. "Always gotta go lookin' for it."

"I don't find trouble, trouble finds me," Maris mumbled. "But I will admit to having a knack for sniffing it out."

Shaak Ti rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to the meeting they had apparently just interrupted. "Hello, everyone. Rahma, An'ya, Tholme, Quinlan, Olee, Even. Bail, nice to see you again. Mon Mothma, still kickin', huh? Give your husband my regards. I haven't seen him in a long time. Bol, Roan, hello to you, too. And, I apologize, I don't know you two. I am Jedi master Shaak Ti, member of the former High Council. And you are?"

"Leia Organa," the young woman replied, coming over to Shaak Ti and shaking her hand. Shaak Ti greeted her with a smile.

"Pleasure to meet you. And, by any chance, is Bail your father?"

The woman nodded, and Shaak Ti turned to Bail with a half-scolding, half-stunned look on her face. "I knew you had a daughter, but I didn't know she was involved with this! A bit risky, no?"

"She talked me into it," Bail said. "I figured, if she could do that, she was good enough to do this."

Shaak Ti shrugged. "Alright, I'll take it." She turned to the older gentleman, who had just hobbled over and extended a hand.

"Fang Zar," he said, shaking Shaak Ti's hand, as well. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Shaak Ti then turned to the Wookiee, who was standing behind everyone else, looking at her strangely. "And you?" she asked, indicating the Wookiee by extending her hand. The Wookiee growled some long and rather unintelligible response; Shaak Ti turned to Leia, who had earlier seemed to understand what the Wookiee was saying.

"His name is Chewbacca," she said, seeing Shaak Ti's lost expression. "And he extends his warmest greetings to you-but not your companion." Her face twisted in an apologetic, yet amused expression. "He says she can stay, but only if she keeps her mouth shut or apologizes."

Shaak Ti smirked at Maris. "You hear that? Shut up, or the overgrown mud-sheep, as you so charmingly put it, tears you into pieces and eats you for breakfast."

Maris shrugged. "Most of them stop at the horns." She then went over and greeted Bol Chatak, a bit too cheerfully for her nature, and introduced herself to the group as a whole. Chewbacca muttered some nasty response, which earned him a scathing glare from Leia.

"Alright, as soon as Han gets back with Luke, we can start," Mon Mothma announced, "So, everyone get used to each other, and Chewbacca, play nice until she hits you first."

As if on cue, the turbolift's door opened again, and the man called Han-the same man from earlier who had hit on Shaak Ti as soon as she walked through the door-exited the lift, followed by a young man dressed entirely in black. A lightsaber hung from his belt, resulting in a raised forehead marking from Shaak Ti.

"Obi-Wan, care to explain to me why this young man carries a lightsaber?"

Obi-Wan smiled warmly at the man. "This is Luke Skywalker," he said. "The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala."

Shaak Ti looked thoroughly surprised. "You are explaining this later," she said, a harsher edge to her voice. Luke seemed a bit put off by this, and glanced at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan waved a dismissive hand at him.

"There will be time enough later for Jedi explanations," he promised. "Now, I believe we were going somewhere with this discussion…?"

"Ah, yes," Mon Mothma said, shaking herself slightly. "Well, we welcome our new Jedi friends, welcome back our old ones, and we begin this meeting as we always do-by thanking the Force or whatever God you believe in that we are all still alive and fully functional."

**A/N: Wh00t. Chapter. One of my longer ones, but that's okay. Review, please.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Okay, so, before you read this chapter, I think a little timeframe clarification might be necessary…since some of you are asking. Anyway, I have basically taken canon timelines and fucked them up the ass. So, I kinda made, what, twenty years pass in two? Something like that. Anyway, we are now at the beginning of A New Hope, and I'm just going from there. So, Shaak Ti has been doing her thing on Felucia during the time between revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. I just packed about twenty years into two. Told you I screwed over canon.**

**XP I hate writer's block…**

"Luke Skywalker, meet Master Shaak Ti. Shaak Ti, meet Luke Skywalker."

Luke seemed rather intimidated by Shaak Ti's presence. The exotic female got the sense he had never seen a Togruta before, and tried not to lower her horns too much. Togrutas didn't use them to fight, as they were hollow and actually rather brittle when put to extreme force. They were sound receptors, however decoratively pigmented and imposingly designed. Luke hesitantly shook hands with Shaak Ti, still looking her up and down warily. He stepped back, feeling her cold black eyes on him critically, and offered a tentative, "It's an honor to meet such a legendary Jedi Master. Master Kenobi has told me much about you."

Shaak Ti smiled as warmly as she could. "Thank you," she said softly, keeping her voice smooth and gentle. "Obi-Wan mentioned that he had an apprentice, but didn't say who he was…are you aware of who your parents are?"

Luke faltered, and then shook his head. "My mother died giving birth to me," he said, "And Obi-Wan told me my father was killed by Darth Vader."

"Ain't that the truth," Shaak Ti muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "Well, you'll find out soon enough. I leave you to your discovering. Obi-Wan, doe she know about his sister?"

Obi-Wan shook his head, and Shaak Ti let out a bark of laughter. "My goodness, boy, you have no experience in the Force whatsoever, do you? Tell me, have you even so much as learned to identify signatures?"

Luke's brow wrinkled, confused.

Shaak Ti let out a half-strangled cry of disappointment. "Obi-Wan!" she exclaimed. "What exactly have you been doing?"

"Teaching him how to duel," Obi-Wan replied, with a snort of laughter himself. "He needs to know how to fend off Vader's saber more than his Force-attacks, don't you think?"

"And how long have you been at this?" Shaak Ti challenged. Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Little while…and a little while means a month or two."

"Have you been teaching him how to use the Force in a duel?"

"That I have."

Shaak Ti sighed. "I guess you're off the hook, then," she said. "But, boy, are you in for a surprise when you learn to identify people by their Force-signatures!"

Luke only looked more confused. Shaak Ti simply smiled, and said nothing. Obi-Wan took pity on Luke, and stepped in. "Don't worry about her," he said, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders. "She's crazy."

"Always have been, always will be," Shaak Ti said, with a perfectly straight face. A snicker from behind caught her attention; Shaak Ti extended the Force, grabbed a book, and hurled it at Maris. The unsuspecting Zabrak was caught unawares, and smacked in the back of the head with said book. Understandably, she shut up very quickly. As did the rest of the room. Shaak Ti's power was unmistakable. "So, Luke, care to show me what Obi-Wan's taught you?"

Luke hesitantly drew his lightsaber, thumbing it on and holding it before him in a shaky opening stance of Djem So. Shaak Ti rolled her eyes, clearly not taking him seriously. "I could defeat you without even raising my blade," she snorted, much to Luke's chagrin. He flushed, but held his ground.

"I'd like to see you try."

Shaak Ti effortlessly called Luke's lightsaber to her using the Force. An invisible pull yanked Luke's saber from his hand, and it flew towards Shaak Ti. She caught it deftly in her free hand, and extended both blue blades to Luke. "And you," she said smoothly, "are finished. Force, Obi-Wan, have you taught him nothing?!"

Luke flushed even deeper, and ducked his head. "I wasn't ready," he muttered, trying to salvage a small bit of dignity. Shaak Ti, instead, deactivated both sabers and clipped them side-by-side on her belt.

"First of all, I know this sounds preachy, but a Jedi should always be ready. Second of all, are you ready now?"

"Pfft. Yes."

Shaak Ti was suddenly a blur of orange, blue and white. First, she was standing six feet away from Luke, calm, relaxed, and seemingly not about to move. In the blink of an eye, she had slammed into Luke, grabbing both of his hands and pinning him to the floor with his wrists next to his head. Luke had the wind knocked out of him; Shaak Ti flicked her lengthy head-tail back over her shoulder with a twist of her head. Luke sucked in a deep breath, coughing slightly and staring up at Shaak Ti with even more respect.

"Can we please not tell anyone about this?"

Shaak Ti grinned, and stood up. "Take it up with them," she said, broadly gesturing to the rest of the room. After the meeting with the leaders of the Alliance had been adjourned, everyone had stayed to help clean up and make sure nothing was left behind. Then, they had all simply been caught up in the supposed fight between Shaak Ti and Luke. Luke's face noticeably reddened as he caught sight of every single pair of eyes in the room fixed on him; Shaak Ti smirked, and got up, swinging her legs up and off Luke's hips. Luke pushed himself to his feet, brushing himself up to straighten enough to meet the Jedi Master eye-to-eye.

"Alright, you win."

Chewbacca yowled from the sidelines, and Shaak Ti took that to be Wookiee laughter. She reached down to her belt, unclipped Luke's lightsaber, and took a critical look at it. As she looked at more and more, however, it began to look more and more familiar. Made for Djem So, and Luke utilized it as it was meant to be used. His skill was deplorable, in Shaak Ti's eyes, but the blue blade was unmistakable now.

"Do you know who's blade this is?"

Luke nodded slowly. "It's my father's," he said slowly. "Obi-Wan said he took it from him because Darth Vader was using it to try to kill him. He defeated Darth Vader, and took the saber."

Shaak Ti smiled sadly, looking up at the ceiling. "Is that what you did, Obi-Wan?" she whispered, not even speaking to the other Jedi in the room. "I can imagine how painful that must have been." She shook her head, casually tossing the lightsaber back to Luke. "Don't lose that," she said, "Or I will kick you from here to Bespin."

Han snickered, and elbowed Chewbacca. "Was that a threat, or a promise?" he muttered under his breath. Chewbacca laughed again, and Shaak Ti swung around to eye the pair. Several others in the room were also smiling; as Shaak Ti fixed them in her glare, they stopped laughing immediately. "That wasn't funny," Han said quickly, holding up his hand placatingly. Shaak Ti folded her arms across her chest again, straightening to her full height.

"Don't let me hear that again."

Han nodded quickly, and Shaak Ti turned back to Luke. "So, let me see your actual skills with a lightsaber-when you can manage to keep your hands on it. I'll have to teach you how to avoid that. Anyway…" Shaak Ti dropped her outer robe; the chocolate fabric swished around her, falling to the floor in a pool of soft brown. Her lightsaber came into her hand with a flicker of the Force; long-fingered, rubicund hands ignited the saber. Shaak Ti moved into the opening stance of Makashi, and turned slightly to fully face her opponent. Her lightsaber was held loosely in oen hand, blue blade pointed at the floor. She was perfectly relaxed; the Force was flowing through her a different way. Luke felt shivers go down his spine as she readied herself to fight: this woman wasn't messing around. He brought his lightsaber up before him, determining she wanted him to make the first move. He came at her immediately, lightsaber raised over his head, and brought it down in an attempted smashing overhead chop. Shaak Ti could see flaws in his fighting style already; he wasn't using Djem So to its fullest, at all.

"You have the advantage of the form!" she called as their blades met in a shower of sparks. "Use it, damn it! That was deplorable!" Luke pulled back, rushing in to meet her with a vigorous swipe at her side. Shaak Ti blocked him with a reversed blade, and easily flicked him away. Luke kept coming at her, though: he didn't fear her. That was good, at least. Shaak Ti easily batted away each of Luke's strikes, finally back flipping up and over Luke's head. She dropped into a crouch, and directed her lightsaber up and towards his spine. Shaak Ti breathed a sigh of relief as Luke spun around and blocked her; Obi-Wan had taught him _something, _thank the Force. She swung out one leg, swinging it around and knocking Luke clean off his feet. "Too easy!" Luke crashed to the floor, and Shaak Ti claimed his saber again. "Dead," she declared, placing the sabers at his throat. She waited a moment, making sure her lesson had sunk in. "Finesse," she said. "Polish. Grace. Artistry. Otherwise, my friend, you will find yourself looking like General Grievous." She removed her blades from his throat, and waited until Luke had gotten back up to toss the deactivated lightsaber in his direction.

"You have the advantage of the form over me," she said, deactivating her own saber and stowing it on her belt again. She bent over, picked up her robe, and ignored the whistles from the men directly behind her. "Makashi just doesn't generate the necessary kinetic power to meet Djem So head-on. But, since what you do can barely be called Djem So, or even using a lightsaber, I was able to easily defeat you. Vader, however, I would have a problem with. He uses a personalized version of Djem So, that mixes several forms together, but Djem So remains its core. So, I would need to utilize both my blade and my Force-powers to defeat him. It would also help if I brought along a few friends. Djem So is virtually useless against multiple opponents. You watch out for that when learning: figure something out in case you have to fight multiple opponents at once." Shaak Ti pulled her robe on over her shoulders, adjusting it around her waist and pulling her skirts back into place. "Obi-Wan, I wish you luck. This is going to take a while. He has talent, yes, but until he learns to let the Force direct his motions, he will never reach mastery of the blade."

Luke watched as Shaak Ti exited, excusing herself and Maris to go find a technical layout of the mega spaceship they had learned about in the meeting earlier. Obi-Wan came up behind him, sighing softly. "Don't feel bad," he said. "She's harsh and critical, but she means well. And every one of those is going to save your life against Vader, I promise."

Luke smiled softly. "She is one hell of a woman," he murmured. "I don't know how you kept up with her in the Order."

"Oh, it was difficult," Obi-Wan said, laughing. "Although, back in the Order, she was much calmer, much more…in control, I guess. She still is, but she's got a sharper edge now. It's interesting to see how she's changed."

Luke nodded slowly. "I see," he said. He turned to face Obi-Wan, curiosity burning in his deep gray eyes. "Tell me, Obi-Wan," he started, "What did she mean by 'I'll find out later?' I have a sister? What is all this about the Force, and using it to do this and that and-"

"Don't worry about it," Obi-Wan assured him. "I will teach you everything you need to know."

"What about my father?" Luke asked. "She said-"

"Don't worry about it."

There was something in Obi-Wan's voice that made Luke drop the matter instantly.

OOOOOOOOO

"We're scheduled to take off from here in oh-seventeen hours. We will arrive at the Death Star two hours later. Master Ti, if I were you, I would start getting some sleep."

Shaak Ti smiled at the female Jedi who stood beside her, glancing over the technical readouts for the Death Star and their plan to defeat it. Both of the Sith lords were on that space station, and the Alliance's intelligence suggested that they wouldn't be there for long. The Alliance was going to make one huge assault on the Death Star: pose as an Imperial ship coming back from scouting, and sneak on the ship. Then, the Jedi would divide into two groups, and track down each of the Sith lords separately. Then, once they defeated the Sith and got off the space station, their fighters would fly in, and destroy the space station by torpedoing the main reactor. It wasn't going to be easy, but Shaak Ti had faith in the Alliance. The Force was whispering something dark, though: she couldn't quite place her finger on it. But there was still the present to be concerned about, and so, Shaak Ti would wait. All became clear with time.

"Master Ti?"

Shaak Ti glanced down at Olee Starstone, standing next to her and slightly below. Olee was shorter than Shaak Ti; not including the horns. "Yes?"

"We should start getting ready."

**A/N: Reviews…and my apologies that this has been a little dead-ish…writer's block sucks.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: HOLY CRAP I'M NOT DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**:) Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am so sorry for making you all wait so long for this. Real life, writer's block (in other words, writer's building-in-front-of-me block,) and other wonderful things have gotten in my way. So, I am sitting here right now, basically head-desk-ing over and over again, trying to write this. God, this chapter was like pulling teeth…but, after watching an old re-run of the series, I hope the mojo's back. O_O And again, my apologies for being a dip and not updating. On to story!!**

Shaak Ti had insisted on staying in the cockpit.

Olee had tried to talk her out of it, as had the pilots, but Shaak Ti was as stubborn as a mule. She dug her heels in and refused to budge. Lando Calrissian was introduced as the captain of the ship: Shaak Ti politely introduced herself, found a seat out of the way, and waited until she could make herself useful. They took off exactly on schedule-with an entire fleet behind them. Shaak Ti was impressed: she hadn't heard a peep from the Rebels the entire time she had been hiding in plain sight, and they had been going as far as to steal Empire ships! They had stealth skills to rival Asajj Ventress. Much as Shaak Ti had disliked the woman in the past, she held a grudging respect for her skills as an assassin.

"Okay, prepare to jump to hyperspace."

Shaak Ti casually checked the time.

The Mon Calamari crew exchanged concerned glances, and then punched the throttle without further ado. Shaak Ti crossed one leg elegantly over the other, folding her arms across her chest. They coasted comfortably at light speed: the jump was smooth. Shaak Ti watched the streaks of light that were stars fly by. It always fascinated her, the intricacy and delicacy of science. Something as ordinary as a hyperspace jump could kill you. But something as dangerous as dueling with sabers would never kill her. Shaak Ti shook her head, wondering at the complexity of the universe. What were they doing, running to their death at the Emperor's hands? Or were they going to succeed, and liberate an entire galaxy? Shaak Ti abruptly stood up, waving the door to the cockpit open and closed behind her.

She almost ran into Luke.

"Teach me," was the first thing out of his mouth. "Obi-Wan doesn't want me to see other people's signatures in the Force until after we do this, he says it'll distract me too much-"

"Kid, I'd listen to Obi-Wan," Shaak Ti said gruffly. "But, hey, I'll teach you a thing or two." Luke's face lit up, and Shaak Ti continued: "Lesson number one: Jedi don't blackmail each other. So, give up on playing us against each other. It's childish, immature, and doesn't become you. Lesson number two: Jedi trust each other. Do that. Lesson number three: you're an idiot." Shaak Ti grinned warmly at Luke, ruffling his hair as she would a child's and simply walking away. Luke looked like he had just been slapped.

Obi-Wan's voice reached her through the Force. _Hey, thanks. I think he needed a slap-in-the-face reality check._

_Happy to oblige, _Shaak Ti thought dryly. _If you need me to slap him for real, by all means, let me know._

_Will do._

Shaak Ti closed off the conversation, and entered into a room that absolutely radiated the Force. There had to be almost all of the Jedi in one place there…Shaak Ti waved the door open and closed, much like she had with the door to the cockpit, and immediately came upon every single Jedi in the Rebel Alliance. Her eyebrow markings rose, but she slowly dropped into the one remaining gap in the circle of meditating Jedi.

"We kind of thought you'd show up."

"Thanks," Shaak Ti said slowly, hearing Anya speak. "Preparing for the big fight?"

"We are," three Jedi intoned at once. "We are centering ourselves," Even Piell continued.

"-for the trials ahead," Olee said, picking up where Even had left off.

"One of us will die," Quinlan said softly.

"No, two," Roan said swiftly.

"But we shall win, however much it costs us," Obi-Wan offered. His eyes, formerly closed, now opened. "And I shall be one to perish."

Shaak Ti felt a clenching pain in her chest. Obi-Wan was one of her dearest friends: she now had to come to terms with losing him, seeming for certain, right before she went into a bloodbath. Obi-Wan gave her a soft smile.

"Do not fear for me, Shaak Ti," he said quietly. "I have known since I was last a Jedi, staring at Palpatine's disgusting face, that I would die to defeat him. I have come to terms with this; my death will not be in vain. You, Shaak Ti, will not fall. You will triumph, and I beg of you-I know what will happen. Tend to Quinlan first."

Shaak Ti's brow wrinkled with concern. "What if he is uninjured?"

"Please, do it."

Shaak Ti nodded swiftly, seeking to rectify her guilt in any way. She couldn't believe what was going to happen, not hours from now-

"You will know what to do when the time is right," Obi-Wan said. "But, whatever you do, do not touch your anger. It is not a weapon you wield. Trust in the light, and you will not succumb to any force in this universe."

_All of my songs can only be composed of the greatest of pains__  
__Every single verse can only be born of the greatest of wishes__  
__I wish I had one more night to live_

Obi-Wan's eyes and Shaak Ti's locked, and Shaak Ti immediately felt his sad acceptance. She broke the eye contact almost as soon as it was made, knowing that there wasn't a force in the universe that could make him change his mind, or try to fight his destiny…just like there wasn't a force in the universe that could make her fall. He was placing his trust in her. She couldn't fail Obi-Wan now. She nodded after a long pause, letting him know she had accepted his fate, as well.

"Meditate," he suggested. "It'll help."

Shaak Ti nodded again, and tried to focus on her inner self. She needed this…she needed the peace, the calm, the tranquility, the clarity…it would do her good. With that thought firmly locked in her mind, Shaak Ti lost herself in the sweeping currents.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Master Ti, it worked! We're in! Come on, now, _now!"_

Shaak Ti yanked herself out of her semi-conscious state, shaking herself slightly to wake herself up a little more. "Come on!" Maris hissed, taking Shaak Ti's hand and tugging her up. Shaak Ti tried her best to re-coordinate herself, pulling herself to her feet and running after Maris. The Zabrak took off down the ship's corridor, dragging Shaak Ti along behind her. Shaak Ti's mind was whirling as she jogged along behind Maris, finally finding her balance as they neared the ship's landing ramp. _Okay, go in, find Palpatine, and lop his head off. Yeah, no problem. Okay, I'll be doing that, Even, Maris, Anya, and Obi-Wan will be with me. Quinlan and Tholme are serving as a diversion on the opposite side of the ship. Roan and Rahma are creating a diversion here so the rest of us can sneak out. Han and Chewbacca are with them…alright, Olee and Bol are sneaking around sabotaging the central systems…a few of our spies went with her, including Princess Leia. We have a space battle going on outside, Luke's with them. We have an hour to get off this thing before they blow it up. We have com connection in case something changes, but that's for emergencies only. We have a spy waiting in the hangar closest to the Emperor's location with an escape vehicle for us…_

_Alright, I'm not losing it. Okay, the Emperor is in the topmost observation tower, right above the laser's focusing dish. I'm leading this, so I have a choice between stealth and direct. We can sneak in and see how far we get that way, or we could just march right in. Well, he's going to notice us either way, so we may as well not look like cowards. Maris can deal with the guards while we engage Palpatine, and then she can jump in from behind. I'll move first, Anya will take left, Even will take right. Obi-Wan can swing around the back, and attack from there. He'll be utilizing Soresu, I'll be using Makashi, and so will Maris. Even will be using Ataru, and Anya will be using…actually, I don't know what she does. Well, I'll know soon enough. Alright, than, we have that covered. As far I know, everyone else has a group appointed leader, and we all report to Mon Mothma. I have everyone's comlink channel programmed into mine, so I can easily access all the channels without having to remember them all. Good, less pressure. I can't think straight with pressure._

"Come, on, come on!"

Maris paused at the top of the ramp to pull her hood up over her head. It was slightly raised above her head by her horns; she tugged it forward a bit more, to shield her face, and pulled her lightsaber from her belt. Shaak Ti couldn't do much to disguise her appearance; she cast a Force-illusion to distort the light around her, casting herself near-invisible. Her lightsaber sprang to her hand; she kept it inactive, as not to draw attention to herself. She and Maris snuck down the ramp, ducking under the ship immediately to avoid being seen. Even, Obi-Wan, and Anya were waiting for her there, hoods pulled up and concealing their faces. They all held their lightsabers in their hands, the beams of light inactive for the moment. Shaak Ti took a deep breath, and hissed,

"Everyone can see me in the Force, right? Stay behind me. Obi-Wan, right. Anya, left. Maris, behind. Even, directly behind me, so it looks like we're a four-man team. Alright, everyone, let's go."

OOOOOOOOOO

Palpatine could sense them coming. He had failed to seduce Ventress with his power. He had failed to train Vader to standard, thus, indirectly failing whatever assassins Vader might have sent after the remaining Jedi in the galaxy. He had failed to kill them all when he had first tried to exterminate the Jedi. He had failed to see this revolt being staged by a band of idiots as a threat, and had thus, failed to take action until it was too late. And too late was now. There was an overwhelming feeling of _light_ that blinded him, and it was suffocating to be the in presence of. Shaak Ti herself was an unbearable nuisance-as a High Council member, she was naturally one of the strongest Jedi of her time, maybe in all of time. Palpatine had first-handedly witnessed her fury, dedication, and power in the Force, particularly when she went toe-to-toe with Grievous. Defending him. Oh, how much she had been an asset as an ally. But as an enemy…Palpatine could see why the Alliance was so desperate to get to her before he did. Shaak Ti was not someone one wanted as an enemy.

Even Piell was a danger in his own right. The huge-eared, Yoda-sized midget was also a Council member, and the fact that he survived alone should indicate that he had _something_ going for him. Be it luck, or skill, or something else, Palpatine didn't care to know. He just didn't care…period. Piell, as he understood it, was a very formidable opponent, slightly below Shaak Ti in skill. He would certainly give him trouble, but with time on Palpatine's side, he wasn't terribly worried.

A Zabrak, apparently, was Shaak Ti's choice of apprentice. He could sense her in the Force: trained _rather_ unorthodoxly, by Ti herself. Interesting. She held promise, but had yet to tap into the full of it. She had been recently Knighted, by the looks of things. She shouldn't be too much trouble, then. Someone to watch, but not worry about.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. Certainly as skilled as Shaak Ti, but humans showed significant signs of aging far sooner than Togrutas. Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan might have been the same age-perhaps she even being a few years his senior-but she was as fresh and sharp as in her prime. Obi-Wan, however, was nearing fifty, and losing his touch. His body, being human, simply wasn't holding up. Palpatine chucked darkly to himself: the dark side had nearly obliterated his weakness due to age. He might look old and frail and weak, but, in reality, the dark side was his insurmountable ally. Obi-Wan was a danger in his prime, but now that gray was beginning to streak his auburn hair, Palpatine wouldn't worry too much.

Anya. She was a mystery to Palpatine. Human? Not? Close? Shape-shifter? He didn't know. All he knew was that she was strong within the Force, although she treaded the line between light and dark without fear. She was walking upon thin ice, and, as the saying went: "Those who walk upon thin ice may as well dance upon it." If Anya chose to weave her deadly dance, Palpatine might have another worry on his hands. Anya was formidable in the former Republic's waning years-had she lost her touch at all over the years? Palpatine found himself almost hoping she had. They had sent a significant strike force against him, and he knew he wouldn't come out of this unscathed. Alive, certainly. Victorious, almost one hundred percent likely. But unscathed, almost certainly not.

And that was just the group drawing near. There were several other, much smaller groups fanning out in multiple directions, among them the infamous Quinlan Vos. He recognized Vos, as well as one defiant Princess and one annoying smuggler and his walking carpet of a Wookiee companion. Well, sheer numbers would wear them down. Vos, too, skirted the edges of darkness, and he may as well be useless if he turne against his teammates. Palpatine had faith in fury. It was basic nature of almost all sentient beings to be inherently evil.

The door to his throne room opened.

Palpatine slowly turned his chair around, staring at the Togruta-fronted attack force standing there before him. Shaak Ti's Force-illusion fell; she cast aside her cloak with an elegant flourish. A Zabrak sent a saber through the heart of one of his guards, just as swiftly turning around and beheading the other. The remnants of Shaak Ti's fighting style had been passed on to her apprentice: the Makashi itself was obvious, but the grace and beauty of a Togruta in motion was not wasted on the Zabrak. Shaak Ti stepped up, her blue lightsaber igniting in long-fingered, elegant hands. Obi-Wan took her right flank, igniting his own blue blade and bringing it to bear. Anya appeared to Shaak Ti's left, her lightsaber blazing just as bright as any other. Shaak Ti's apprentice had disappeared, melting into the shadows. She would occasionally pop up to slaughter a hidden guard, but otherwise, remained hidden, save for in the Force. Even held the back position, short, but formidable all the same. At first, no one moved: then, Palpatine stood up.

"And so…let the bloodbath begin."

His red blade of light broke free, and Shaak Ti moved first.


	18. Chapter 18

Shaak Ti looked like a blue, white, and orange tornado. Her striped montrals and lekku swirled around her in a spinning vortex as she moved, her blue lightsaber flashing dangerously in the poorly-lit room. Sidious was countering her every move-for now. He couldn't say that it wasn't taxing fending off five Jedi, though. Even Piell had made himself a perch in the upper catwalks of the room, hurling debris at him with the Force and occasionally jumping down on top of him. Sidious swatted away the gnat, and then had to deal with the remaining Jedi on the ground. Quinlan Vos, it seemed, had joined the party at some point-and he had been improving his lightsaber skills since his days in the Order. His Ataru had hints of Vaapad within it, and Sidious wasn't sure what would happen if Vos reverted to Vappad completely. How much did he actually know? Kenobi lagged a bit in the fight: his simple Soresu made him an easy target to begin with, but clearly, he was feeling the effects of age the most out of all the Jedi. Anya looked absolutely vicious, and she treaded a thin line between light and dark. Sidious supposed that, later on, when he had time, he could try to turn her. Ti's apprentice was still lurking, diving in and out of light, doing basically the same thing as Piell: waiting for an opening, and then jumping right in. Her inexperience made her a target, as well: Sidious went after her and Kenobi equally, hoping to get lucky with one of them. Unfortunately, Maris was holding up very well under the pressure, and Shaak Ti always seemed to leap to Kenobi's aid just when he started to fracture under the full assault force of Darth Sidious. Sidious growled in frustration to himself. This was enough play time. He needed something to take their attention from him, and he needed it quickly. The dark side built up in a massive reserve: Sidious waited a moment for exactly the right moment to unleash it-

Shaak Ti ran to his right, and Anya split to his left. Quinlan leapt straight up into the air, and a clear path was left to Kenobi. Obi-Wan rushed in headlong, blue lightsaber held before him threateningly. Sidious reacted quickly, throwing the blue electricity in his hand towards the weakest link of the group. Obi-Wan lifted his saber to defend himself, but it was too little, too late. The lightning slammed into him with full force, knocking the Jedi Master back with the full force Sidious could muster. "Obi-Wan!" Shaak Ti cried. She broke off her attack, rushing towards Obi-Wan. Sidious easily tripped her with a tug of the dark side, fending off Anya and Quinlan with one hand. He hurled Shaak Ti across the room, towards the deep pits around the reactor core. The Togruta brutally slammed into the railing around the pit, hard enough to hear a sickening _crunch! _Shaak Ti did a full flip up and over the railing, and Sidious felt giddy with excitement as she lay over the railing, half conscious, leaning treacherously towards the depths. Maris surfaced just then, catching her master as soon as she was going to tumble over the railing to the abyss below. Sidious cursed under his breath, bringing his full attention back to the fight. Anya and Quinlan were attacking him head-on still, and neither showed any sign of letting up. Even had found it in himself to muster up enough courage to join the head-on fight, as well. Maris was tending to Shaak Ti behind them. Sidious got up on the stairs at his back, trying to gain the height advantage. Who to target next? Quinlan could be persuaded, if Sidious got him to lock blades. He just had to bring him to frustration at the stalemate, and make him draw on his anger to win. A surge in the light side made Sidious hiss in discomfort: Shaak Ti was healing the broken hip she had sustained when Sidious threw her, with Maris helping her. He had to do this quickly, then, before they could rejoin the fight. He had some time, though, thanks to Kenobi: the Jedi was out cold on the floor, and doubtless injured by his attack. Sidious continued to back up the stairs, trying to draw Quinlan into crossing blades with him.

It worked.

The rest of the Jedi split off while Quinlan held Sidious firmly in a blade-lock, rushing to Kenobi's side and checking for a sign of life. _Well, of course he's still alive,_ Sidious thought crossly. _You would have felt a death like that in the Force, and very strongly, as well! _Still, he hid his emotions behind his sickly yellow eyes, turning his attention to Quinlan. He had to do this quickly: Quinlan was physically stronger than him, and bearing down quickly. As it was, Sidious was drawing heavily on the dark side to stay upright and leaning down over Quinlan. Somehow, Quinlan was pushing him up and back!

"Master Vos," Sidious hissed, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. "You once wielded one of these, did you not?"

"I recognize my errors," Quinlan said smoothly, not wavering an inch. "And I have rectified them long ago."

"But you have seen the power that can be yours," Sidious continued. He wasn't surprised Quinlan was putting up a fight, but he couldn't delay. "You cannot truly believe that the _light side _can offer you more than I."

"Then call me a fool."

With a flick of the blade, Quinlan managed to send Sidious flying. He crashed wholly through his throne, landing hard against the viewport and slowly slumping down on the floor. Half-blacked out, Sidious tried futilely to blink the world back into focus. He could see the vague outlines of several Jedi rushing towards him: in desperation, he reached for the dark side, swiping viciously with it and trying to ward off the impending Jedi as best he could. Still, he could sense two of them still coming: Kenobi and Ti. He squeezed his eyes shut, veiling the red that crept in from the borders of his irises. Pure evil took over his soul as he focused all his rage onto Kenobi: all his hatred for everything Obi-Wan had done to hamper his plans to begin with, all that negative emotion, the grudge he had held against him for so many years, fermenting, festering, boiling-

He was hit. All of a sudden, Obi-Wan stopped coming. Shaak Ti risked a glance back to see what had halted Obi-Wan's advance-her heart stopped when she saw why.

Obi-Wan was lying in the middle of the steps, a red lightsaber protruding from his chest.

Shaak Ti screamed in agony, seeing her closest friend suddenly struck down. She raced towards him, hoping she could save him, but knowing other. She knew he was going to die: he had said so himself, and if he had no will to live, what could she do? You could only save someone who wanted to be saved. Still, she wanted to at least hear his last words. The entire world narrowed to one focal point: sound was muted out, and all she could hear was Obi-Wan's ragged, faint breathing. His heartbeat, formerly rapid and strong in her montrals, was suddenly faint and erratic. Shaak Ti fell to her knees next to Obi-Wan, reaching out and placing a hand on his chest. The light side swirled around her in frightening torrents as she tried to save Obi-Wan's life, but still, it wasn't enough. She could see the outlines of his body fuzzing slightly: he was disappearing into the Force.

"Obi-Wan, please, it doesn't have to be like this!" she pleaded, taking his hand. He needed to know she was still there: his eyes nervously roamed back and forth, unable to focus, clouding over rapidly.

"Let…me…go…"

Someone touched Shaak Ti's shoulder. Anya looked down at her, meeting Shaak Ti's tearful black eyes with cold, indifferent gray ones.

"Don't make him suffer. Guide him to his master: he has people waiting on the other side. Just let him go; don't prolong his agony. Even you know, in the back of your mind, he will die. Just let him go peacefully, in the knowledge that he fell to a noble cause."

Shaak Ti's face fell. Still, she could sense that she was only prolonging Obi-Wan's agony. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lifted her hand from his chest, cutting herself off from him except for the contact she kept with his hand. "I'm here," she promised. "And you won't have died in vain. Please, Obi-Wan…" Obi-Wan's eyes somehow found hers, and Shaak Ti had to close her eyes to keep from losing her reserve. "Tell Qui-Gon…I said hi."

She let go.

As soon as she released his hand, Obi-Wan's entire body fell still. His heartbeat froze: his lungs ceased to draw breath. His body became cool, and then, faded away into nothingness. Behind her, the sounds of lightsabers slowly came into focus. Anya offered a hand down to her, helping her up with an icy, detached demeanor. "Come on," she said quietly, her tone clipped and short. "It is time for us to rejoin the fight. Can you handle it?"

Shaak Ti nodded, reaching up with one rubicund hand to swipe at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I can," she whispered. She called her lightsaber into her hand with a tug of the Force: Obi-Wan's blue blade came to life in her other. "I swear, Obi-Wan," she murmured, "you will be able to rest in peace."

The smell of burning flesh suddenly filled the air again.

Sidious's lightsaber had returned to him. After simply evading the blows the rest of the Jedi threw at him, countering attacks with the Force alone, he had moved back to the offensive. He had regained his saber, and was now focusing on Quinlan. Quinlan was countering his physical attacks easily, but mentally, he was beginning to crack. The sheer miasma of the dark side around him was calling on his past, making sure he couldn't even fight. The refuge of his own mind had been suddenly polluted, influenced by surroundings. And it was affecting him. Shaak Ti could see the heart in his fighting falling out of it: his movements were slowing, losing their polish, losing their form, and, most importantly, Quinlan was getting sloppy. He was leaving gaps in his form no one _ever_ should.

And Sidious exploited that.

Quinlan was suddenly left with a deep gash in his right thigh, deep enough to create a visible void. The cauterized flesh barely even seeped blood, but Quinlan's stumble and swear was enough for Sidious to shock him fully with Force lightning. Quinlan screamed, whether in anger or pain or something else, Shaak Ti didn't know. All she knew was that one of her friends was dead, and the other was dying. It was time to move.

The blue and white of her lekku flew and flashed as she threw herself fully back into the fight. Maris had finally resurfaced: after sealing all the doors shut by way of welding with her lightsaber. Now, she rushed into take Obi-Wan's place in the fight. Even had darted out from above in a catwalk, and was fighting for Quinlan. Shaak Ti knew they couldn't drag this out much longer: the only difference from before was that Shaak Ti was using two blades, giving them a one-blade advantage. Blades, blades, blades…flashes of the Force here and there. The world was a haze of dark room, faint light from the space battle outside the viewport, and features limned blue, green, and red from the light of their sabers. They were getting nowhere! What was the Emperor's weakness? Obviously, it wasn't in the Force, and it wasn't with a blade. He was so strong in the dark side: how was he even still going?! He was ancient, especially as far as humans went! For such a powerful Sith lord, in the end, he was only human, and aging quickly. Shaak Ti couldn't see how he was still going when Obi-Wan, several decades his junior, had fallen to a mere Force-shove-

That was it.

Sidious was attacking Obi-Wan's physical _body_, not his Force-presence! The Jedi weren't attacking Sidious's body itself, they were just casting attack towards him, and he was warding them off easily. They had played right past his weakness! And they could easily counter it! Shaak Ti cursed in frustration: she had analyzed this from the beginning, wanted to implicate it at every turn, and somehow, she just hadn't seen it. She needed to draw him into hand-to-hand combat, or this would never work. Shaak Ti leapt back from the fight, tucking her own lightsaber back onto her belt. The blade deactivated immediately; Shaak Ti shifted Obi-Wan's lightsaber into her weaker hand: her left. Her right arm was her dominant; she would fight with that, and resort to the saber only when necessary. That said…

Shaak Ti darted in again, this time sliding past Sidious's attacks and aiming a sharp right cross at his face. Sidious was surprised, but drew his lightsaber across towards her hand. He couldn't counter, she realized. Not physically, anyway. But he had forgotten about the rest of the lightsabers around. His mind was put off by the random, unorthodox attack. A punch in the face was rather unsophisticated, regarded as low-class, even uncivilized. Most Jedi wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.

Shaak Ti connected, and Sidious flew backwards: onto three waiting lightsabers.

Blue beams of light suddenly protruded from Sidious's chest, all puncturing his heart and instantly ending his life. Shaak Ti could see electricity coursing over his body, and, as the shock wore off, realized that her own knuckles were charred. He had coated himself in Sith lightning as a last-ditch attempt to save himself. Shaak Ti thumbed off her saber, walking over to the three Jedi standing there, mouths agape, holding Sidious impaled on their blades. Shaak Ti strode right over, yanked the body wholly off the blades, and carried it over her shoulder to the huge reactor core pit she had almost fallen over earlier.

"Rest in pieces, you bastard."

And she threw him down the shaft.

That said and done, Shaak Ti began focusing on healing-herself, and anyone else injured. "Is everyone okay?" she asked, healing her hand while glancing around the cluster of Jedi. She walked back over to them, shaking out her hand and getting the new muscle to settle. Everyone nodded, except for Quinlan.

"I'm alive," he grunted, "but any help here would be nice."

Shaak Ti dropped to her knees next to Quinlan, immediately setting her hand son his wounds and directing the light side in and around him to repair the damage. "Hey," Maris said slowly, walking up behind Shaak Ti, "didn't Obi-Wan say _two_ of us would die?"

"He also told me to, 'tend to Quinlan first.' So?"

"Only one of us is dead, and that's Obi-Wan."

Shaak Ti sighed. "It's always exact like that," she whispered. "All we can do is our best, and that's good enough."

Maris shook her head. "But how do we know we haven't lost anyone else?" she asked. "Elsewhere on this ship-"

"We have already lost thousands," Shaak Ti snapped. "Don't beg for death. Maybe Sidious was the second death."

Maris shook her head again. "Master, please…I think you're being a little too optimistic about this."

Shaak Ti lifted her hands from Quinlan, standing up easily and then helping him to his feet. "Come on," she said, starting towards the turbolift. "We need to get out of here. We don't know who else is out there, and how they're faring. Tholme, particularly, is in danger. Speaking of, Quinlan, why are you even here?"

Quinlan shrugged. "Tholme ran off after we made out little diversion. He said he was finding Olee and Bol and helping them out with sabotaging the ship-"

Shaak Ti's heart gave a sudden lurch. "Sabotaging the ship," she whispered. She whipped around, hand poised above the turbolift button, sudden horror in her eyes. "And what are they sabotaging, exactly?"

"The hyperdrive first, then the reactor core, then-"

"They don't know there's a body in the reactor core that's coursing with electricity! That body is suddenly a live bomb!" Shaak Ti slammed her fist into the turbolift's activator, bringing it screeching to a halt in front of her. The doors opened instantly, and everyone raced inside. Shaak Ti felt a horrible stab of regret-what she had done to ensure Palpatine's death may have actually hurt them all. They needed to get off that space station-now!

She just hoped they weren't too late.

**A/N: Wow, I think the last half of that was crap...and it's really long, too. Well, tell me what you think, and sorry it's so late again. XP**


	19. Chapter 19

_We've used up half our time…we gotta get outta here before we all get roasted alive. Oh, we have to get out of here…_

Shaak Ti's optimism was fading fast as she and the other Jedi raced down the hallways of the Death Star, hearing the sinister rumbling from below that signified the first of many bombs going off. Her other Jedi companions had been working on sabotaging the ship for the entire time they had been dueling Sidious, and now, it was time for all of their plans to come to fruitation. All they had to do was _get off the bloody ship. _Which was proving difficult. So far, the Jedi had shot, sliced, and cut their way through seven patrol groups, four bomb squads, and the odd Dark Acolyte who decided to show up for _some _odd reason no one knew about. Shaak Ti had easily dispatched the Dark Acolytes while her comrades dealt with the troopers and whoever else decided to show up; somewhere along the way, Quinlan had patched a communication through to Olee Starstone and informed her that they had succeeded, and working their way towards the hangar bay. Olee had mentioned that they were headed there too, and they figured that they would run into each other at some point. Shaak Ti had then taken off again, running even faster, leaving everyone else no choice but to follow.

"Oh, would you put that thing down?!" Shaak Ti snapped, seeing Maris lugging a huge rifle around on her shoulder. "So primitive, uncivilized-"

"I can shoot this baby at five hundred rounds per second," Maris said, grinning. "Any troopers come along, they can suck laser!"

Shaak Ti just rolled her eyes. "Have it your way," she said, slightly put off by Maris's desire to hold onto the weapon. Quinlan said nothing, but the look on his face indicated amusement beyond normal.

The Jedi charged into the hangar bay, ignoring the loads of troopers scattered in small clusters over the landing platforms. Maris skidded to a stop, rifle cocking, braced on her shoulder. All of a sudden, red bolts laced the air as troopers discovered their presence: and decided they weren't welcome. Armies of white raced towards them, weapons ranging from sniper rifles to hand blasters. The hiss of lasers whizzing by Shaak Ti filled the Togruta's montrals; she ducked, dodged, and bent her body in acrobatic forms around the bolts she couldn't block, her blue blade flashing as she reflected bolts back upon their firers. Through the chaos, Shaak Ti searched for the odd trooper out, the one who wouldn't be firing at them. Their spy had to be waiting somewhere around here! The Force flickered around the room, darting in and out of troopers' psyches. No…no…no…Shaak Ti was starting to worry. Where?

Finally, Shaak Ti discovered a few more presences that hovered in the light. They were in the small, sleek cruiser three ships down and seven to the right. And all of those presences seemed familiar. "This way!" Shaak Ti called, pausing for a moment in her furious battle. She barely dodged another bolt headed for between her eyes: she ducked to the left, and then spun around and ran. It seemed these soldiers were terrible shots: Shaak Ti hardly had to worry about their bolts. Two…three ships passed her on the left. Shaak Ti abruptly changed direction and took off again, mentally checking off ships. The hail of laser fire ceased for a moment. It seemed that the troopers didn't want to risk shooting and damaging their own ships. They had a few seconds, then. Two, three…these were big cruisers! Shaak Ti increased her speed, seeing the landing ramp fall on one of the ships. Han's brunette head poked out of the ship, motioning them forward. If they could make it before the troopers caught up, that would be perfect.

Four…five…they were so close! But, apparently, so were the troopers. Laser fire caught up with them, chasing them down the corridor. Shaak Ti returned several laser bolts to those who had shot them, the bolts racing right back down the barrels of the blasters and exploding. Three troopers left. "Go!" Quinlan's voice reached her ears. "I'll hold them off!"

"No!" Shaak Ti insisted, grabbing Quinlan and quite literally dragging him along behind her as she ran. "You're coming with me!"

"Don't worry about it," Anya called from behind them, turning in a slow circle to deflect several more shots. "I see Tholme, Roan, and Olee already. They'll come up from behind, we have nothing to worry about."

_Famous last words,_ Shaak Ti thought ruefully. Still, she tried to keep her mind clear, and focused on their escape. Quinlan had given up on fighting, and was now running with them. Sixth cruiser…so close! Just a hundred more yards, and they were home free!

A massive explosion rocked the ship to its very core.

Everyone was sent flying: debris fell from the ceiling in massive chunks. All of the remaining troopers, without the aid of the Force, were caught under debris, and crushed. The Jedi were all able to dodge the pieces or shield themselves directly: at a quick glance, Shaak Ti could see that no one was injured. Still, the two groups of Jedi were separated by a huge wall of debris. And, to make matters better, the shots had started coming again. Reinforcements had arrived, and snipers had also taken up position. Shaak Ti felt the sting of a laser bolt she had sensed just in time as it singed her sleeve, burning the skin slightly where it passed. That was too close! They had to get out of here, now! And if those explosions kept up…well, Shaak Ti was suddenly very aware that the second prophesied death was nigh. But who was it? Who was going to die, and how, and where, and why, and-? Shaak Ti stopped herself. Worrying would get her nowhere. She just had to watch out, and make sure she didn't die.

Another explosion rippled through the ship. Luke appeared, charging down the ramp of the ship he had commandeered and activating his lightsaber with a hiss. Maris joined Shaak Ti at her side; the Zabrak and the Togruta began fighting side-by-side, fighting off the debris as well as the soldiers. There seemed to be no end to the flow of troopers who came through the hangar's huge, sliding doors. And they didn't seem to run out of ammunition, either. Shaak Ti couldn't figure out, for the life of her, how they were coming up with so many troops. She and Maris began to edge backwards, towards the ship. Luke ran past them, charging right into the troopers and cutting them down by himself. Shaak Ti recognized the fury in the boy's movements: it was dangerous.

"Luke, no!" she called. "Start trying to get through to the Jedi on the other side!"

More debris flew as a third explosion rocked the ship. Shaak Ti pushed Maris in front of her, and clipped her lightsaber to her belt. "Cover me!" she called over the hail of fire. Maris spun her lightsaber in a blurred circle, not questioning as Shaak Ti began directing the Force in and around the fallen chunks of permacrete, twisted metal, and fallen pieces of the ships' hangar. Shaak Ti closed her eyes, concentrating on the very essence of the ship. The debris suddenly parted, as if propelled by compressed air. The shocked faces of the Jedi on the other side were revealed; then, they, too, ran past Shaak Ti and into the ship. Shaak Ti breathed a sigh of relief; safe! Luke finally gave up on what seemed to be his mission to slaughter as many troopers as she could: he turned around and ran back into the ship, Shaak Ti covering him with the Force. Bolts changed paths; projectiles flew off course. Maris and Shaak Ti then turned and ran, leaping up the landing ramp at the last second. The hatch closed behind them, and Shaak Ti crashed into the opposite wall, the momentum from her leap sending her flying. Another explosion rumbled through the Death Star, the entire space station heaving and groaning.

"What are we waiting for?!" Shaak Ti barked, seeing Han and Luke hesitating to take off.

"Anya," Luke replied, lips pursed. "She's not here."

Shaak Ti felt her heart leap into her throat. That last death…was it happening after all? "Anyone else?" she asked. Luke sighed softly.

"We have you and Maris…Olee, Roan, Tholme, and Rahma all got here a second ago. Han and Chewbacca were with me the entire time. Leia and a few of our other spies are already gone. All of our diplomats and politicians are already a few miles away in a cruiser. Even got here first, and told me that Obi-Wan passed. And that's everyone: except Anya." Luke shook his head. "She didn't come back with you?"

"I thought she was with Even," Shaak Ti murmured. "Her Force-presence places her in this room, still. If you give me a moment, I can contact her."

"Hurry," Han warned. "Our shields can only take so much."

"Don't worry about it," Maris said, shifting into a cross-legged position right on the floor where she was. She closed her eyes, sat up straight, and placed her hands on her knees. Immediately, everyone felt a surge in the Force around the ship, and it almost seemed like the bolts had stopped hammering the shields. Han looked confused, but decided not to question the Jedi. Maris just remained where she was, perfectly still, protecting the ship. Shaak Ti trusted her; the Togruta slipped into her semi-conscious state, finding Anya almost as soon as she did. It was almost like Anya had been expecting her. The Dark Woman was strangely calm, like a criminal about to be led to execution. Someone who had accepted what they had done, and was fully prepared to atone for it.

_Anya, what are you doing?!_

_I'm fully prepared to die, Master Ti, _Anya responded, still amazingly calm. _I saw that I would die in the Death Star's explosion. Now, I know why._

_Where are you? We can come back and help you!_

_It's too late for that. I'm staring at the body, charged with electricity, falling down the reactor core right now. Hurry up and go: you only have a few seconds._

_Anya!_

_Go! Now! I can buy you a few seconds! Don't let my death be the one that's in vain!_

Shaak Ti yanked herself out of her stupor, knowing that if she paused to think, she would feel too guilty and turn around and try to save Anya. "Go!" she cried. "She's buying us time! We have to get out of here now! She says she was the second death we saw!"

Han wasted no time. Even with Maris's shield around the ship, he was still nervous. The ship's engine roared to life, and they lifted off immediately. Maris kept her shield around the ship, knowing that to lose it now would jeopardize them in the future. There was, undoubtedly, a space battle happening outside, and she also got the sense they would be getting shot at a lot. The ship picked itself off and streaked for the opening gate in the hangar, flying right out the door without issue.

They were chased out by flames, debris, and a supernova-sized explosion.

Chewbacca roared something unintelligible. Han pushed the ship into a higher gear, jamming the throttle forward. Still, the explosion chased them out of the ship, threatening to overcome them. Luke, Han, and Chewbacca were all screaming at each other, each co-pilot telling each other what to do. And none of it was working. In the midst of it all, they lost Maris's soft sigh: all of a sudden, the ship gave a lurch, a groan, and then surged forward again, much faster this time. Maris had used the Force once again, watching calmly as they streaked away from the explosion. Other ships were all swallowed up by the huge destruction, sucked into the inner ring of the fires. Shaak Ti was still trying to catch her breath from the first encounter: this new brush with death wasn't helping her at all. Still, just sitting and breathing had its benefits. They were safe for now, and those who had died would be honored properly later. The Death Star was destroyed. Sidious was dead. Darth Vader was long dead. The dark side was virtually obsolete. The universe was in balance again. The politics could be left to others. Shaak Ti was content for now.

OOOOOOOOOO

Back within an atmosphere, the rebels were all gathered around a meeting table, all smiles. They had achieved their ultimate triumph: the Empire itself was defeated, and the Death Star was destroyed. Still, Shaak Ti remained leaning against the wall in a corner, ignoring the festivities and going-ons. She sipped lightly at a drink held in one hand, the other wrapped around her midsection. Distracted was probably the best word for her: she wasn't sad, or angry, or bitter: she just wanted to think. And a party was not the ideal place to do it.

"Hey, Tiger, you comin' any time tonight?" Han said, slinging an arm across Shaak Ti's shoulders. Shaak Ti's nose immediately detected alcohol on Han's breath: and leaking from every pore, for that matter. She didn't feel like dealing with a drunken playboy. Resorting to a Jedi mind trick, Shaak Ti told Han to go sleep it off. Han wobbled off, and Shaak Ti returned to watching the rest of the people have a fun time. She was content, for now, to just stand quietly.

"Hey," Maris said, walking up to her. She held a bottle clearly labeled as an adult beverage in one hand, and Shaak Ti found herself slightly taken aback by this.

"You drink?"

"Nah, just took it to be polite," Maris said, shrugging. "I took a few sips, that's all. You want it?

"Pass," Shaak Ti said, grimacing. "So, what brings you over here to the Lonely Corner?'

Maris laughed. "You," she said. "Just a little worried. What's on your mind?"

Shaak Ti sighed softly, turning the glass in her hand. Maris understood immediately: the losses. "They're in a better place," she offered. "Don't mourn their death; rejoice in their life. Don't dwell on it: they died to save us. Don't you think they would have wanted us to be happy?"

"I guess," Shaak Ti said, shrugging again. "But the face still remains that I can't just brush that aside. Obi-Wan was my life-long friend, even though I didn't know Anya for very long or very well, she was still a friend and a fellow Jedi. Again, I can't just put all that aside."

"Of course not," Maris said, shaking her head. "And I'm not asking you to. But just keep in mind that you can't hide in a corner forever."

With that, she left Shaak Ti with a smile and those parting words. For a moment, Shaak Ti just stood and pondered: then, a smile graced her features, and she quietly slipped into the dancing, celebrating crowds.

**A/N: So, holy crap, I'm not dead. I have no excuse…I'm sorry. T_T I'm going to try to get that one last chapter out, so bear with me. Just so we can put it all to bed. Tie up all the loose ends. All that jazz. So, I apologize again for the lateness, and I hope that I can finally put this story to bed before next year.**


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